Mangaluru: When a swollen river cut off access to a power line serving a handful of houses in Dhoomadka in Bettampady of Puttur, Mescom linemen and local residents took a risky route–swimming across the raging waters to restore electricity.Power supply to around 10-12 houses was disrupted on Aug 17 after two low-tension (LT) lines were snapped as the Seere River, flowing through the area, swelled following heavy rain and a tree fall.According to Puthu J, junior engineer, Mescom, Bettampady, Puttur, officials who inspected the site found that the river was in spate, making it impossible for the linemen to cross safely and access the damaged lines. A local resident had temporarily tied the damaged line to the opposite bank to prevent further damage.“With the water level high, the team initially had to wait for it to recede. However, the residents were without power for nearly 24 hours and were anxious to have the supply restored,” Puthu J said.As the pressure to restore power mounted, linemen Bande Nawaz, Praveen Kumar and Basavaraj, along with local resident Janu Naik and his son, took up the challenge.Three members of the team swam across the swollen river to reach the damaged lines, while the other two remained on either side of the river, coordinating the work and managing the lines.After a strenuous operation, power supply to the affected houses was finally restored by 3 pm on Tuesday. Videos of the incident have gone viral.
