Eight days after flash floods, Rajouri-Poonch still await full power restoration; MD JPDCL reviews situation
Eight days after devastating flash floods and landslides ravaged Rajouri and Poonch, leaving power and drinking water infrastructure badly damaged, Managing Director of Jammu Power Development Corporation Limited (JPDCL) Gurpal Singh on Sunday visited the worst-hit areas to review restoration works and direct officials to speed up the revival of electricity supply to affected villages and critical installations.
At least 26 people lost their lives in the natural calamity that hit the two districts.
The MD inspected restoration work in several flood-hit locations across Rajouri and Poonch, including areas where roads were washed away and electricity pole foundations eroded. He also reviewed efforts to restore power supply to key drinking water schemes and directed officers to continue restoration on a war footing until normalcy is restored.
Gurpal Singh undertook an extensive visit to the flood-affected districts of Rajouri and Poonch to review the progress of restoration of the damaged power infrastructure and ensure expeditious restoration of power supply in all affected areas.
During the visit, the Managing Director inspected restoration works at Muradpur, Salani, Bela, Fatehpur, Saj in Rajouri district, where JPDCL teams have been working tirelessly to restore the damaged power distribution network affected by recent flash floods and incessant rains. He also reviewed the restoration of power supply to critical PHE installations including Sangam, Nabbah, New Bela, ITI and Old Bela, stressing that uninterrupted power to drinking water supply schemes remains a top priority.
In Poonch district, the Managing Director visited Sanai, Dhundak, Lassana, Marhote, Lathung Bridge, Surankote Town, Potha to assess the restoration efforts. He also inspected the severely affected MohraBachhai area, where heavy downpours and flash floods had washed away road stretches and eroded the pole foundations of electricity poles, causing extensive damage to the power infrastructure.
The Managing Director reviewed the restoration of the 33 kV and 11 kV distribution network, including 33/11 kV Receiving Stations, damaged poles, conductors and distribution transformers. He expressed satisfaction over the significant progress achieved despite extremely challenging conditions, including difficult terrain, overflowing nallahs and intermittent rainfall. He commended the dedication and commitment of engineers, technicians and field staff who have been working round the clock under adverse weather conditions to restore electricity supply.
Later, the Managing Director chaired a high-level review meeting at the Dak Bungalow Poonch, where he assessed the overall progress of restoration works and directed all officers to continue restoration activities on a war footing. He instructed the Chief Engineer (Distribution) to ensure immediate dispatch of poles, conductors, distribution transformers and other essential materials to the affected sites as per field requirements. He further directed the Executive Engineers to utilise the services and resources of turnkey contractors engaged under RDSS and DA-JGUA works to accelerate restoration efforts and minimise the downtime in affected areas.
Reiterating JPDCL’s commitment towards public service, the Managing Director stated that restoration of power supply to all affected villages and critical installations, including hospitals, drinking water supply schemes and other essential public infrastructure, remains the Corporation’s highest priority. He assured that restoration operations would continue uninterrupted until normalcy is fully restored.
The Managing Director was accompanied by Chief Engineer (Distribution) JPDCL Arshad Hussain Reshi, Superintending Engineer, O&M Circle Rajouri Kuldeep Kumar Dalia, Executive Engineers and other senior officers of JPDCL, who also reviewed the progress of restoration works and interacted with field teams at various locations.