AP: Power stations resume operation as employees call off stir

Two thermal power stations at Vijayawada and Kadapa went into steam today as power employees in coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema regions of Andhra Pradesh resumed work after calling off their indefinite strike "temporarily" in view of cyclonic storm Phailan.

The power employees were on indefinite strike for the last five days against the Union Cabinet's decision to create a separate Telangana state out of AP. They have been demanding that the Centre withdraw the move to bifurcate the state.

The Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station at Vijayawada and Rayalaseema Thermal Power Station at Kadapa, which have a combined generation capacity of 2,810 MW, resumed operations today.

The Srisailam right bank hydro power house also resumed generation, adding 770 MW to the capacity and relieving the state of the electricity crisis that affected even emergency services in the last five days.

"Power generation is back to normal since today morning as the employees resumed work," Power Generation Corporation of Andhra Pradesh Limited Chairman and Managing Director K Vijayanand told PTI.

Official sources, however, said only 9,691 MW of power was being generated currently across the state as against the previous 11,000 MW.

"Generation is slowly picking up. It takes time for thermal (power) to come back fully," a top official of a power utility said.

The gap in generation was expected to be filled in the next few hours when thermal stations get into full steam, he said.

Power cuts have almost been lifted, including in Hyderabad city, as distribution has also been restored in Seemandhra districts, the official added.

The strike had pushed 13 coastal Andhra and Rayalaseema districts into darkness, affecting movement of trains and emergency services in hospitals, besides hampering power supply to Hyderabad city.