Saturday, January 15 2005 13:20 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Bambooflat (South Andamans): Twenty days after the tsunami struck, Surya Chakra Power Corporation Ltd (SPCL), the power lifeline of South Andamans, is still inundated with water. Officials in Bambooflat are saying that the 20 MW plant might not be operational before three months.

SPCL Director V S Murthy said that German engineers and technicians were at work to put the power utility back on rails but it would take at least three months before generation could begin again.

"But that too is not a permanent solution since the plant is adjacent to sea. It needs to be shifted to a safer place by the Andaman administration," Murthy said.

SPCL, which took over power supply from the local administration in December 2002 with its 4X5 MW generator sets, was completely destroyed in the tsunami incurring losses worth over Rs seven crore.

Of the total power requirement of 24 MW for the entire south Andamans, which houses one third of the population of this Island conglomerate, the administration has been able to meet 40 per cent of its requirement, Assistant Engineer, Planning, M Eappan said.

"Despite a total lack of infrastructure and a skeletal manpower, we have been able to restore about nine MW of electricity to Port Blair and south Andamans," he said.