AP reels under prolonged outages, anger mounts over delays

Vijayawada: Large parts of the state reeled under severe and prolonged power outages over the past few days, triggering widespread public anger. Despite repeated assurances from energy minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar that electricity supply disruptions would be restored within two hours, the ground reality remained drastically different, locals alleged.

A few towns and villages spent anywhere between 36 and 72 hours in darkness. The unannounced and erratic power cuts turned daily life into a nightmare for ordinary citizens. Elderly people, patients dependent on medical equipment, children, and small traders bore the brunt of the crisis, as soaring summer temperatures compounded their misery. In many areas, residents were left sleepless through humid nights without fans, drinking water supply, or mobile connectivity as batteries drained out.

Ravi Kumar convened a teleconference from Mahanadu with senior officials and asked them to take all possible measures to restore supply. He attributed the disruptions to unprecedented temperatures touching 48°C, heavy electricity consumption, and technical failures caused by gales and rains.

“There are no power cuts anywhere in the state. Interruptions are occurring only due to technical reasons such as damaged transmission lines, overheated transformers, and snapped conductors,” the minister said. He maintained that AP was generating sufficient electricity to meet demand and claimed that additional staff had been deployed at call centres to address consumer complaints quickly.

Residents alleged that the emergency toll-free helpline 1912 remained virtually clueless about the ground situation. In most cases, callers were repeatedly told that supply would be restored “shortly,” even as entire neighbourhood remained without power for over a day.

In Kakinada, residents faced over 12 hours of continuous blackout on Monday night. The situation was worse in Jaggaiahpet town of NTR district, where people endured more than 24 hours without electricity. Local officials cited tripping of a 33 KV substation due to heavy gales and rains.

Granite hub Chimakurthy in Prakasam district has also been witnessing relentless outages for several days. Residents alleged that power supply was being cut for six to eight hours almost every day without prior notice. “We are suffering every day. Nobody tells us when power will go or when it will come back,” said local resident Maddi Venkateswarlu.

The minister also blamed unauthorised hoardings and flex banners for damaging electricity lines during storms.Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Bakrid wishes, messages and eid 2026