HYDERABAD: A five-member high-level committee comprising senior engineers has been constituted to inquire into the circumstances that led to the fire accident in Srisailam left bank hydroelectric plant that killed nine people.
The committee has to furnish a detailed report on the causes and circumstances that led to the fire accident, and also submit a detailed report within 15-days along with specific recommendations and measures to be taken to prevent or avert such accidents in future.
The committee is headed by chairman and managing director Telangana state southern power distribution company limited (TS Discom) G Raghuma Reddy as its chairman. Its members include TSTransco joint managing director C Srinivasa Rao, director (transmission) of TStransco T Jagath Reddy and TSGenco director (projects) M Sachidanandam. The chief engineer (generation) of TSGenco P Ratnakar is the convenor of the committee.
TSGenco chairman and managing director D Prabhakar Rao who constituted the committee, told TOI that four of the nine people who died would have escaped and come out of the exit tunnel had they got two more minutes. “They tried to come out of the escape tunnel but could not get enough oxygen due to thick smoke and collapsed. Another two minutes of time would have saved their lives. There are two tunnels of which one is exit way,” Prabhakar Rao said.
He also said the two of the six units of the hydel power plant should have tripped automatically as soon as the fire broke out. “But it did not happen. We are unable to understand why it did not happen as the plant is equipped with the latest technology. The isolation was done from outside and vibrations were being felt. The power supply went off as fire engulfed and smoke filled up the tunnels,” he said and termed the loss of nine lives as unfortunate despite all efforts made to save them.
The hydel plant was in good shape and producing 800 MW electricity. The damage assessment will take some more time. The first two units are expected to be revived in 15-days. The revival of the remaining units would depend upon the extent of damage caused to it.
A team is also being sent to Tamil Nadu to study the reasons for the boiler blast that killed people in the thermal power station in Neyveli two months ago. There was a boiler explosion in NTPC power plant in Unchahar, Uttar Pradesh in November 2017. “We are studying all types of accidents to ensure that such incidents don’t occur in future in Telangana,” Prabhakar Rao said.
The committee has to furnish a detailed report on the causes and circumstances that led to the fire accident, and also submit a detailed report within 15-days along with specific recommendations and measures to be taken to prevent or avert such accidents in future.
The committee is headed by chairman and managing director Telangana state southern power distribution company limited (TS Discom) G Raghuma Reddy as its chairman. Its members include TSTransco joint managing director C Srinivasa Rao, director (transmission) of TStransco T Jagath Reddy and TSGenco director (projects) M Sachidanandam. The chief engineer (generation) of TSGenco P Ratnakar is the convenor of the committee.
TSGenco chairman and managing director D Prabhakar Rao who constituted the committee, told TOI that four of the nine people who died would have escaped and come out of the exit tunnel had they got two more minutes. “They tried to come out of the escape tunnel but could not get enough oxygen due to thick smoke and collapsed. Another two minutes of time would have saved their lives. There are two tunnels of which one is exit way,” Prabhakar Rao said.
He also said the two of the six units of the hydel power plant should have tripped automatically as soon as the fire broke out. “But it did not happen. We are unable to understand why it did not happen as the plant is equipped with the latest technology. The isolation was done from outside and vibrations were being felt. The power supply went off as fire engulfed and smoke filled up the tunnels,” he said and termed the loss of nine lives as unfortunate despite all efforts made to save them.
The hydel plant was in good shape and producing 800 MW electricity. The damage assessment will take some more time. The first two units are expected to be revived in 15-days. The revival of the remaining units would depend upon the extent of damage caused to it.
A team is also being sent to Tamil Nadu to study the reasons for the boiler blast that killed people in the thermal power station in Neyveli two months ago. There was a boiler explosion in NTPC power plant in Unchahar, Uttar Pradesh in November 2017. “We are studying all types of accidents to ensure that such incidents don’t occur in future in Telangana,” Prabhakar Rao said.
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