GUWAHATI, March 26 - Around 50 per cent of the Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd�s (APDCL) power distribution network in the city was damaged by the thundersquall that lashed the city with a speed of around 48 km per hour this afternoon. However, the power grid, which supplies electricity to the city from the generating stations, remained intact.
APDCL sources said that by 6 pm, around 90 per cent of the damaged power distribution network was restored by APDCL officials and workers. The sources asserted that the rest of the damaged network would be restored by tonight.
The damage to the distribution network was mostly caused by uprooted trees, broken tree branches and damaged hoardings. In one case, a water tank fell on the overhead power distribution lines near Dispur. Altogether, 22 concrete electricity poles were also damaged by the squall in different places of the city, said the sources.
Sources in the Borjhar-based Regional Meteorology Centre (RMC) informed this newspaper that the thundersquall was the product of the combined impacts of a cyclonic circulation prevailing over the northern part of West Bengal and its neighbourhood and a trough lying between Arunachal Pradesh and central Assam.
Under their influence, instability occurred in the weather of west Assam, central Assam and upper Assam today. This situation will get debilitated within this night itself, they said. But, rain or thundershowers are very likely to occur at most of the places over Arunachal Pradesh, at many places over Assam and Meghalaya and at a few places over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura. These weather activities are expected to continue till tomorrow morning over the region, said the RMC sources.
The RMC, meanwhile, warned that thundersquall will continue to lash Assam and Meghalaya tomorrow as well, while thundershower will occur in Arunachal Pradesh.
