88 per cent of 11-kV feeders lines restored in Chennai: Tangedco

CHENNAI: A day after cyclone Michaung battered the city and its surrounding districts with incessant heavy rains and strong winds, Chennai on Tuesday slowly limping back to normalcy as the power demand increased from an all-time low of 112 MW on Monday to 1500 MW on Tuesday evening marking restoration of power supply.

Tangedco chairman and managing Rajesh Lakhani said that the city's power demand fell to as low as 112 MW on Monday owing to the cyclonic storm. "On Tuesday, the power demand has increased to 1100 MW which reflects the restoration of power supply, " he told reporters at the Secretariat after the review meeting chaired by the chief secretary.

Tangedco sources said that the power demand increased to 1500 MW on Tuesday evening and is likely to increase further with the power restoration works going on in full swing.

Lakhani said that out of the 1812 11-KV feeders supplying power to Chennai, the power supply has been restored in 1610 feeders and restoration works are underway in 202 feeders.

He said that the power supply is being restored in the areas where the water level has receded. Areas like Perumbakkam and parts of Velachery are still underwater, he said, pointing out that the substations at Shollinganallur, Perumbakkam and RA Puram remain flooded.

Finance and Electricity Minister Thangam Thennarasau said that 1500 workers were being brought from Krishnagiri, Dharmapuri, Tiruvannamalai, Villupuram and Vellore districts to carry out power restoration works.

Even as the power restoration works are going on, the residents in several parts of the city including at Aynavaram and ICF have resorted to protest over the delay in the power restoration.

People, especially in high-rises and apartment complexes, continued to have tough times as water pumps could not be operated without a power supply.