Andhra Pradesh power distribution system's reliability indices show good improvement

VIJAYAWADA: The concerted efforts of the power utilities to ensure 24x7 uninterrupted power supply have significantly improved System Average Interruption Duration Index (SAIDI) and System Average Interruption Frequency Index (SAIFI), which are key indicators of reliability of distribution system.

While SAIDI improved by 27 per cent in 2020-21 compared to 2019-20, SAIFI saw an improvement by 19 per cent year-on-year, according to the three power distribution companies (Discoms).

SAIDI, measured in units of time, is the average outage duration for each customer served, and SAIFI is the average number of sustained interruptions per consumer during the year measured in units of number of interruptions per costumer.

"The chairpersons and managing directors of the APEPDCL, APSPDCL and APCPDCL S Nagalakshmi, H Haranatha Rao and J Padma Janardhana Reddy explained that SAIDI, which was around eight hours in FY2019-20, has come down to around six hours in FY2020-21 with reduction by 27 per cent. Similarly SAIFI, which was around 12.75 numbers in FY2019-20, has come to 10.29 numbers in FY2020-21 with reduction of around 19 per cent," the energy department said in a statement on Thursday.

Energy Minister Balineni Srinivasa Reddy said that the government and power utilities have taken 24x7 uninterrupted power supply as a priority in view of the curfew imposed with drastic rise in COVID-19 cases.

The minister reviewed the power supply status in the context of COVID-19 via teleconference and directed the officials to avoid any interruptions or power outages even to the remotest household in the State. He also added that the utilities must be prepared to face any kind of emergency and restore power immediately in case of interruption.

On the occasion, Energy Secretary Srikant Nagulapalli said that utilities have laid special focus on towers and lines, poles, precautions at substations, offices, control rooms and critical locations, provisioning spares, preventive maintenance etc. As of now, in case of failure of distribution transformers (DTRs), replacement is being done within 12 hours in urban areas and 24 hours in rural areas, well within norms. 

In the meantime, alternative power supply shall be arranged to the connected consumers without any interruption, the official added. One nodal officer (engineer) and two staff from Discoms were assigned to each of the COVID Centre.