Lignite mining and power generation was stalled at NLC after incessant rain and wind since Sunday night left the Neyveli township marooned and cut off from the district headquarters.
Official sources said Neyveli recorded a maximum of 45 cm rainfall on Monday which is the highest recorded in a day in the last several years.
Lignite mining and power generation took a hit as mines were inundated. Sources said that as on Monday, power generation was a meagre 600 MW against the installed capacity of 2,990 MW. The management has also switched off the conveyor belt system that carries lignite to the thermal stations because of heavy rainfall. According to a NLC official, pumping out of excess water from the mines is in progress. A contingency plan has been put in place and lignite excavation and power generation would resume shortly.
Most of the blocks in the Neyveli Township were inundated with floodwater entering houses. Roads leading to Neyveli were also cut off due to heavy rain. As rain continued unabated, authorities suspended power supply as a precautionary measure.
As many as 1,000 families in Vadakkumelur, Kilpadi and Melpadi in Neyveli have been shifted to a community centre. Efforts have been made to supply food from a centralised kitchen to the displaced families. Official teams have been on the task to assess the extent of damage to crops and property, District Collector S. Suresh Kumar said.
