The Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company (GESCOM) in Yadgir district has suffered a huge loss after over a hundred electricity poles were broken when trees fell on them in the strong winds, which accompanied the rain that lashed the district. The numbers of damaged poles and transformers were high in Yadgir city compared to the rest of the district.
The rain, accompanied by thunderstorms and winds, lashed the district, especially Yadgir city, late on Thursday and it began even on Friday evening in some parts of the district, after a respite during the day.
The strong winds caused damage to 150 electricity poles, which either fell down or were broken, and to cables, after trees fell on them. Nearly 70 poles were damaged in Yadgir city alone.
GESCOM officials calculated the loss and gave approximate figures. “Including damaged cables, poles, and transformers, GESCOM suffered a loss of ₹40 lakh to ₹45 lakh owing to rain-related incidents. However, there is no report on the damage to humans and animals,” Raghavendra, Executive Engineer, told The Hindu, over the phone.
According to official information, all taluks in the district received rain. The rain report recorded on Friday said Shahapur taluk received 6.9 mm, Shorapur taluk 5.8 mm, and Hunsagi taluk got 6.5 mm in 24 hours.
With disruptions in power supply, the situation in rural areas had not yet improved. People were facing difficulties in having sufficient drinking water as the majority of borewells stopped functioning owing to a lack of power supply.
“Officers, labourers, and technicians are continuously working to restore power supply. It took them more time to clear the fallen trees. However, we have completed 90% of the restoration work and will complete the remaining work on Sunday morning. Therefore, people should cooperate with GESCOM,” Mr. Raghavendra said.
