HYDERABAD: The Telangana government has offered to help Andhra Pradesh rebuild its electricity network, which was severely damaged by Cyclone Arnab. Deputy Chief Minister and Power Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said on Wednesday that Telangana is ready to dispatch the technical staff and materials needed to restore power supply in the neighbouring state.
Vikramarka personally telephoned Andhra Pradesh Energy Minister Gottipati Ravi Kumar and sought details on the intensity of the cyclone, the condition of damaged electricity poles and transformers, and the overall extent of the damage. He assured Ravi Kumar that Telangana would stand by Andhra Pradesh in its hour of need and was prepared to provide whatever assistance was required to return supply to normal as quickly as possible.
Briefing his Telangana counterpart, Ravi Kumar said relief and restoration work was moving rapidly on the ground under the leadership of Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu. He said that although the power infrastructure had suffered heavy losses, officials and field staff were working round the clock to restore supply.
The Andhra Pradesh minister thanked the Telangana government for responding immediately and offering personnel and equipment for the restoration effort. He said such cooperation between the two states would help ease public hardship during disasters.