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APDCL personnel restore power in a flood-hit area after mandatory safety inspections. (Photo:@CMOfficeAssam/X)

Guwahati, July 27: In Assam, the restoration of electricity is progressing in phases across regions impacted by flooding, as the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) ramps up efforts to reconnect consumers following thorough safety checks in submerged areas.

As per the latest outage data from APDCL released on Monday, power interruptions are now primarily limited to a few districts, with Sivasagar experiencing the highest number of flood-related outages.

Currently, approximately 27,303 consumers are still without power, with 619 distribution transformers (DTRs) and eight 11 kV feeders disconnected due to safety concerns stemming from the floods. Additionally, one 33/11 kV substation is out of service, along with three malfunctioning 33 kV transmission lines.

Sivasagar, severely affected by the floods, has 561 disconnected DTRs, eight disconnected 11 kV feeders, two faulty 33 kV lines, and 24,531 consumers impacted.

Jorhat is the only other district reporting notable outages, with one 33/11 kV substation down, one faulty 33 kV line, 53 disconnected DTRs, and 2,523 consumers affected.

Minor outages are still present in a few other districts. Golaghat has three disconnected DTRs, impacting around 150 consumers, while Bongaigaon and North Lakhimpur each report one disconnected DTR, affecting 45 and 54 consumers, respectively. No flood-related outages have been noted in the remaining APDCL circles.

To prevent electrocution and safeguard critical infrastructure, power supply was suspended as a precaution in vulnerable areas during the floods.

As floodwaters recede, APDCL's technical teams are conducting thorough inspections of substations, transformers, and distribution networks before gradually restoring electricity.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma stated on Monday that conditions in Sivasagar are improving as water levels drop, facilitating quicker restoration efforts.

"The situation in Sivasagar is returning to normal as water levels decrease in many areas. Based on this reduction, we are progressively restoring power, with an additional 11% reduction in power cut areas since yesterday," Sarma mentioned in a social media update, emphasizing that the government is closely monitoring the situation.

The Chief Minister commended APDCL staff for their relentless efforts to restore essential services in flood-affected regions.

He highlighted that power restoration is ongoing in Sivasagar, Jorhat, Charaideo, Dhubri, Bongaigaon, and other impacted districts following necessary safety inspections.

Reiterating the government's commitment to public safety, Sarma assured that electricity will only be restored once engineers confirm that local distribution infrastructure is safe for reconnection, ensuring a reliable return to normalcy for communities affected by the floods.

Meanwhile, the Assam State Outsourced Workers' Union, representing employees from the state's three power sector companies, has called on Chief Minister Sarma to regularize the services of fixed-pay employees, claiming they continue to receive low salaries despite their crucial roles.

Union members hold a demonstration at Bijulee Bhawan, in Guwahati, on Monday. (Photo)

In a statement, the union noted that the fixed-pay APDCL employees, recently commended by the Chief Minister for their efforts in restoring electricity in flood-affected Upper Assam while risking their lives, are the same workers who have long sought job regularization and improved wages.

Clarifying that fixed-pay APDCL employees from Upper Assam did not participate in the protest at Bijulee Bhawan as they were engaged in flood restoration work, the union appealed to the Chief Minister, who also oversees the Power portfolio, to address their longstanding demands.