Thursday evening’s rain fury caused extensive damage to the electricity transmission network here, resulting in the staff of the Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) working overtime to restore the supply which was disrupted at many places.
In V.V. Mohalla division of CESC, more than 35 electric poles had fallen in heavy winds and as many as five transformers had suffered major damages because of trees falling on the distribution lines.
Power supply had not been restored to some areas because of the extensive damage to the lines. The CESC has been working to ensure supply by Saturday evening.
Barring disruption in supply in areas around Vidya Vardhaka School on Lalithadri Road in Kuvempunagar and University Staff Quarters in Saraswathipuram, power supply had been restored across the division, said CESC Executive Engineer Chikkasidde Gowda.
“We could not restore the lines in these two areas because of the far-reaching damages caused to the key distribution lines with three HT poles crashing down in rain havoc around Lalithadri Road. We will restore the supply by Saturday evening,” he said.
More than 40 powermen (formerly linemen) had been working since Friday morning in the division to replace the damaged poles and reinstate the damaged distribution lines which bore the brunt of the havoc because of trees falling on them.
“This was perhaps for the first time in the recent years that the power supply network was badly affected, because of heavy rains. In our division alone, the loss is estimated at ₹10 lakh. We have replaced five transformers to ensure uninterrupted supply,” he said.
New transformers
In N.R. Mohalla division, four electric poles and one transformer were damaged and all of them had been replaced with new ones.
Division Executive Engineer Swamy said unlike V.V. Mohalla division, the damage in N.R. Mohalla division was less but the number of cases of tree branches falling on the lines was more. “This caused disruption in the supply in most places and we have restored it by Friday evening.” he said, adding that more than 30 trees had fallen in the city limits of the division.
Mr. Swamy said about 40 poles and 15 transformers had suffered damage in rains since April in the division which also consists of Chamundeshwari and Varuna segments. The division alone has three lakh consumers.
Trees being pruned
Meanwhile, the teams from the Mysuru City Corporation are in the process of pruning and cutting dead and weak tree branches as the rain, accompanied by heavy winds, had brought down many trees and branches across the city.
On Jayalakshmi Vilas Road where big branches of trees had come crashing down, the MCC teams removed dead and dangerously hanging trees as a precautionary measure.
The fallen trees had not been cleared fully, affecting free movement of pedestrians.
