Underground power cables are expected to protect several localities near Visakhapatnam’s coastline from prolonged electricity outages during the cyclone forecast to affect the Andhra Pradesh coast on October 27 and 28, according to Deccan Chronicle’s report citing an engineer from the Andhra Pradesh Eastern Power Distribution Company Limited (APEPDCL).
The protected areas include RK Beach, Siripuram, CBM Compound, Old CBI Down, China Waltair, Peda Waltair, Pandurangapuram, Kirlampudi Layout, East Point Colony and parts of MVP Colony. The underground network is designed to reduce the exposure of electricity infrastructure to high-velocity winds, which can damage overhead lines and disrupt power supply during severe weather.
“Even if there are technical snags arising out of high velocity winds, we will restore them without losing much time,” the APEPDCL engineer in Visakhapatnam was quoted as saying. The statement indicates that underground cabling is expected to reduce the scale and duration of outages, although it does not eliminate the possibility of faults during the cyclone.
The underground cable installation programme in Visakhapatnam began in March 2018. Civil works started at RK Beach under a World Bank-funded project, according to the report. The initiative followed the extensive damage caused to the city’s power infrastructure by severe cyclonic storm Hudhud, which struck Visakhapatnam on October 12, 2014.
Hudhud caused widespread disruption across the city and led to large-scale restoration operations. The report said then Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu was personally present during the immediate restoration work. The damage highlighted the vulnerability of coastal cities whose electricity networks depend heavily on overhead lines exposed to strong winds, falling trees and flying debris.
The Visakhapatnam project was subsequently aimed at strengthening power infrastructure in vulnerable urban areas and reducing the risk of weather-related failures. Underground cabling can shield conductors from direct wind exposure, but access to faults can require specialised maintenance and excavation if equipment below ground is damaged.
For residents in the covered neighbourhoods, the immediate operational question is whether power supply can be maintained as the cyclone approaches and how quickly APEPDCL can respond if technical failures occur. The utility’s stated position is that any faults linked to high winds will be restored without significant delay.
The cyclone’s expected impact on the coast makes the performance of the underground network an immediate test of an infrastructure investment undertaken after an earlier disaster. APEPDCL’s restoration response and the continuity of electricity in the identified localities will determine the extent to which the project limits disruption during the October 27-28 weather event.
