Kerala Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has instructed that power connections in the landslide-affected areas of Chooralmala and Mundakkai in Wayanad be restored promptly, according to a statement from the minister of electricity’s office on Tuesday.
Minister Krishnankutty has directed that power restoration efforts prioritise all areas except for seven transformers in the disaster-stricken region, which serve approximately 1,400 consumers. Power to other areas is expected to be restored by this evening. The evaluations will further be conducted in collaboration with disaster management authorities.
Krishnankutty will soon visit the affected areas to assess the restoration efforts firsthand. According to the minister’s office, approximately 3 kilometers of high-tension lines and 8 kilometers of low-tension lines in the Meppadi electrical section have been severely damaged by the landslides. Additionally, two transformers are missing, and three others are damaged. There has been significant damage to the lines in two transformer zones, leading to a complete power outage for around 350 homes, officials reported. In the early hours of Tuesday, the landslides in Meppadi, Wayanad, resulted in over 80 fatalities and about 116 injuries.