New Delhi: Amid political show, general public is badly affected by the ongoing shutdown in coastal parts of Andhra Pradesh.  As the southern power grid creaked on Tuesday with workers at generating units shutting down thermal plants parts of southern India stared at dark days and huge industrial losses. Thousands of villages and towns remained cut off from power supply due to electricity employees’ strike protesting bifurcation of the state. Transport, hospitals, Banks, ATMs, petrol pumps, power generation and hence every aspect of life is badly affected in the state.
The electricity employees strike has badly hit power supply to all major establishments and services including airports, railways, and hospitals and for supply of drinking water. Power generation at Srisailama Right Canal Hydal Unit and Vijayawada, Rayalaseems and Simhadri Thermal Units was almost stopped suffering huge power losses.
Rail and air traffic beside emergencies like medical services have been badly hit due to lack of electricity. Tirupati and Vijayawada airports are running on backup power. Despite severe hardships, people and state employees in Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra regions relentlessly continue their agitation protesting against the Union Cabinet’s decision to bifurcate the state. Amid the hunger strikes in Delhi and AP against Union Cabinet’s Oct 3 decision to go ahead with the bifurcation, it seems there is no end to the ongoing situation in the near future. Even the state government is ineffective at the moment and cabinet ministers from the Coastal Andhra Pradesh are pressing the PM to accept their resignations, as public has threatened them of dire consequences if they remain part of the union government.