Kundapur: Eight electricity poles were damaged after large branches of a peepal tree snapped and fell onto a road near the fish market within Kundapur municipal limits amid strong winds and heavy rain on Tuesday night. The incident disrupted power supply to several parts of the town and forced the closure of a key road connecting the national highway to the municipal area.
Personnel from Mangalore Electricity Supply Company (Mescom) worked throughout Wednesday to restore electricity by replacing the damaged infrastructure, while authorities cleared the road of fallen branches to resume normal traffic movement.
Strong winds bring down tree branches
The incident occurred near the fish market in Kundapur when strong winds accompanying heavy rain caused large branches of a peepal tree to break and fall onto the road.
The falling branches struck multiple electricity poles carrying 11 kV power lines, causing extensive damage to the distribution network.
The force of the impact uprooted several poles from their base, leaving overhead power lines damaged and disrupting electricity supply to nearby localities.
Eight power poles damaged
According to officials, a total of eight 11 kV electricity poles were damaged in the incident.
The affected power lines supply electricity to several important areas, including the Fish Market, Rama Mandir, the New Bus Stand and Kharvikeri.
The damage resulted in power outages across parts of Kundapur town, causing inconvenience to residents, commercial establishments and commuters.
Mescom personnel were deployed immediately to assess the damage and initiate restoration work.
Restoration work continues
Electricity department staff remained engaged throughout Wednesday in replacing the damaged poles and restoring the power distribution network.
The restoration work involved removing damaged infrastructure, erecting new poles and reconnecting power lines to resume electricity supply safely.
Officials worked to minimise the duration of power interruptions and restore normal services at the earliest.
Road remains closed after tree fall
The fallen tree branches also blocked the road connecting the national highway to the main municipal road through the fish market.
As a result, the route remained closed from Tuesday night until Wednesday, disrupting vehicular movement and forcing motorists to use alternative roads.
Authorities undertook clearing operations to remove the branches and restore traffic along the affected stretch.
Rainfall eases after days of wet weather
Kundapur and Byndoor taluks have been experiencing widespread rainfall over the past several days due to the active southwest monsoon.
However, weather conditions improved slightly on Wednesday, with rainfall reducing in intensity and winds gradually weakening.
The easing of adverse weather conditions helped restoration teams carry out repair work more efficiently.
Authorities have advised residents to remain cautious during periods of heavy rain and strong winds, as weakened trees and utility infrastructure may continue to pose risks during the monsoon season.