Industries badly hit by Hudhud cyclone

Srikakulam: Hudhud cyclone and subsequent power crisis is causing heavy damage to major and minor industries across the district.

Due to cyclone and stormy winds, power distribution system completely collapsed as sub-stations, feeders, distribution networks and poles were damaged.

As a result, power supply was affected for five days and restored partially on October 17 in municipal areas. In the district, a total 240 major and 3,400 minor industries are functioning and all these industries need 70 megawatts power every day.

Due to power crisis, production wass temporarily stopped in all pharmaceutical industries, Aurobindo, Reddy’s and VKT Pharma at Pydibhimavaram in Ranasthalam mandal since October 12, except for some essential works.

“We stopped regular production due to power problem and run some plants in our industry with generators for sometime in a day to meet our customer requirements according to agreements between us,” Nagarjuna Agriculture Chemical Limited (NACL) vice-president C.V. Rajulu told this correspondent.
NACL is a pesticides manufacturing unit at Chilakapalem in Etcherla mandal.

According to information provided by the representatives of various industries, about '115 crore worth production has been affected till October 22 and it will increase if crisis continues. “We stopped production in our industry due to power crisis and Nagavali flood water surrounded the industry,” Con-cast industry vice-president Tamm-ineni Venkata Ramana explained to this newspaper.

Concast is a pig iron making unit at Dusi village in Amudalavalasa mandal and situated adjacent to Nagavali river.

“We are facing trouble to provide power to domestic usage due to huge damage and we can provide power to industries only after
restoration of supply from 220 KV substations,” said APEPDCL Srikakulam superintendent engineer P.V.V. Satyannarayana.