The Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has kept men, machinery and materials ready to handle the fallout from Cyclone Nivar in the city.
Local officials have been deputed for cutting down tree branches, which could cause damage to transformers or overhead power lines during downpours. The cyclone is expected to make landfall on Wednesday.
Electricity Minister P. Thangamani, after chairing a meeting with senior officials at the Tangedco headquarters on Monday, said the electricity department was ready to face the cyclone by stocking more than 1.5 lakh poles and keeping in good condition hundreds of power saws to remove fallen trees. He said as part of precautionary measures, power supply would be disrupted for one hour during the cyclone’s passing.
Mr. Thangamani said the city would not have much to worry as more than 75% of places were supplied by underground cables. He said: “The ECR has overhead power lines and could face problems of poles falling down but steps have already been taken to replace damaged poles with new ones.”
A senior Tangedco official said monsoon preparatory works had been completed in both northern and southern suburbs.
The senior electricity official said that in the north region, over 1,500 electricity poles had been replaced with new ones, and in the south region a total of 1,164 poles were changed.
Maintenance staff of Tangedco had installed new conductors for over 45 km in the north and 130 km in the south, and had taken steps to prevent low-sagging of conductors in 2,600 locations in southern localities and 563 in the northern suburbs, he added.
The Tangedco is also increasing the height of pillar boxes in a phased manner ever since the deluge of December 2015. This year pillar boxes in 475 places in the north and 35 in the south were identified for increasing the height.
