The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has launched a probe into a power failure that lasted 16 hours in the Peerumade area in Idukki after its employees took leave en masse and allegedly went on an excursion.
According to local residents, power supply in areas under the Pothupara section office was disrupted around 5 p.m. on Friday after heavy rain. The power disruption affected the functioning of the Peerumade taluk hospital, taluk office and the police station. When the local residents contacted the KSEB Pothupara section office, they were told that the employees there had gone on an excursion to a neighbouring State. Despite interventions from the top, the power supply could be resumed only 16 hours later.
Social worker and Peerumade resident P.M. Asad filed a complaint before the Chief Minister demanding action to avoid such incidents. “The power supply was disrupted around 5 p.m. on Friday and was restored only after 9.20 a.m. on Saturday. The mainline connecting the Pothupara section passes through deep forest and if it is shifted to the road, maintenance can be taken up easily,” said Mr. Asad.
