Cyclone Remal snaps power, net in Assam & Tripura

Guwahati/Agartala: Cyclone Remal has wreaked havoc in parts of Assam and across Tripura since Monday night, leaving a trail of extensive destruction. The severe storm, accompanied by incessant downpours, uprooted trees, and snapped power transmission lines and electric poles, leading to widespread disruptions in power supply and internet services.
In Assam, power supply disruptions were reported in districts such as North Lakhimpur, Golaghat, Sorbhog in Barpeta district, and Guwahati.Workers from the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL) have been working round-the-clock to restore power lines since Monday midnight, but continuous rain delayed the efforts. Nagaon, Goalpara, Bongaigaon, Karbi Anglong, and the south Assam districts of Cachar, Karimganj, Hailakandi, and Dima Hasao were among the worst affected.
State power minister Nandita Gorlosa on Tuesday evening shared pictures on Facebook of workers restoring power lines, stating, "We are grateful to the people for being co-operative throughout the day in fighting with the severe storm. Restoration has been a bit delayed keeping in mind the safety of the public. Guwahatians, almost 90% under GEC-1 has been restored already. And 65% under GEC -II has been restored till now. Almost all will be restored once it is being re-checked again."
APDCL PRO Priyam Dutta told TOI, "In Guwahati, except for the areas where hospitals are situated, almost all areas suffered power cuts throughout the day. Power lines for medical facilities were restored on a priority basis. Guwahati witnessed significant destruction of power infrastructure, and the extent of the damage is still being assessed. However, the exact amount can only be determined by Wednesday."
Internet services were also affected in several parts of the city due to the toppling of trees and poles carrying internet cables. "The optic fibre cables were snapped in many parts of the city due to the toppling of trees, which caused disruptions in internet accessibility, impacting normal operations in many offices," said an internet service provider in the city on Tuesday.
In Tripura, the power supply was disrupted for over 18 hours, severely affecting medical care at Indira Gandhi Memorial (IGM) Hospital, Agartala Govt Medical College (AGMC), and other emergency services. Despite the efforts of Tripura State Electricity Corporation Ltd (TSECL), many parts of the state, including Agartala, remained without electricity by Tuesday afternoon. The disruptions halted operations in banks, schools, and govt offices, while water supply in urban areas was also affected. Newspaper publications were suspended, and diagnostic centers faced interruptions.
Tripura experienced unprecedented rainfall due to Cyclone Remal. Unakoti district recorded the highest rainfall at 252.4 mm in 24 hours, a 67-year record. Dhalai recorded 248.3 mm, North Tripura 242 mm, and West Tripura 229 mm, causing rivers to flow above the warning mark.
State power minister Ratan Lal said, "Due to trees falling on the electricity lines, the power supply was severely disrupted."