Poonch, July 31: The critical 132 KV electricity grid supply has been safely restored in Jammu and Kashmir’s Poonch district after ten consecutive days of disruption caused by severe flash floods and continuous heavy rainfall.
The power supply had been affected after heavy rains caused massive damage to the Power Development Department’s (PDD) infrastructure. A major loss occurred between Rajouri and Thanna Mandi, where two or three towers were washed away; this disrupted the power supply for the entire Poonch district.
Altaf Ahmad Khan, Incharge Executive Engineer (XEN) of the Power Development Department, said the recent spell of heavy rainfall had caused widespread damage to the department’s infrastructure.
“The recent rains, specifically those on the 19th and the subsequent ones, caused massive damage to the PDD’s infrastructure alongside other assets. A major loss occurred between Rajouri and Thanna Mandi, where two or three towers were washed away; this disrupted the power supply for the entire Poonch district,” Khan said.
He said the department had earlier managed to restore power temporarily to ensure that emergency services continued to function despite the extensive damage to the transmission network.
Khan said PDD personnel worked round the clock to repair the damaged infrastructure and resume electricity supply. However, he noted that the temporary arrangement could not meet the electricity demand of the entire district as the available supply was insufficient to handle the full load.
He said the collapsed transmission towers have now been restored using an Emergency Restoration System (ERS), enabling the district to receive its full power allocation.
“However, there is good news: the towers that had collapsed have now been restored using an ERS, an Emergency Restoration System. Power has just been fully restored, meaning we will now receive the entire required load from this point forward and can handle the full load,” Khan said.
Meanwhile, heavy rainfall and a subsequent cloudburst on July 19 triggered massive landslides that severely damaged the Thannamandi-DKG-Bufliaz Road, a key Border Roads Organisation (BRO) project vital for connecting the twin border districts of Rajouri and Poonch with the Kashmir Valley.
The downpour triggered flash floods that washed away several stretches of the newly constructed road, culverts, and heavy trees at multiple locations between Thannamandi and Bufliaz.
The road remains closed for traffic even after 13 days, with vehicles being diverted through the BG (Bimber Gali) route. (ANI)
