Nandyal, Sep 11: A woman undergoing treatment with oxygen at home reportedly died after a power outage disrupted the oxygen supply at her residence in Nandyal district on Thursday.
The deceased was identified as Padmavathi (45), a resident of Muthaluru village of Rudravaram mandal. She had been suffering from ill health for the past few days and was experiencing difficulty in breathing.
Doctors had advised her family to provide oxygen support at home whenever required. Following the medical advice, the family arranged an oxygen concentrator/machine and had been administering oxygen to her as needed.
According to the report, electricity supply to the village was interrupted at around 6 pm on Wednesday. As the power remained unavailable, Padmavathi reportedly began experiencing severe breathing difficulties.
The power cut, coupled with the resulting heat and stuffy conditions inside the house, reportedly worsened her condition. Despite waiting for electricity to be restored, the situation did not improve.
As her condition became critical, family members rushed her to a hospital in Allagadda. However, she reportedly died while being taken to the hospital.
The incident has raised concerns among residents over the impact of prolonged power cuts on patients who depend on electrically operated medical equipment, particularly oxygen concentrators.
Frequent and unscheduled power cuts are causing growing concern among farmers and households in parts of Andhra Pradesh, with prolonged outages disrupting irrigation, domestic activities and small businesses.
The problem has become particularly visible in Kurnool,Nandyal and Kadapa districts, where residents have reported interruptions during evening and night hours.The prolonged outage caused considerable inconvenience to families, particularly during the night. Residents were forced to depend on alternative lighting arrangements, while the absence of electricity also affected water supply and other essential household activities.
Farmers are particularly worried about the frequent cuts because irrigation pumps can operate only when power is available. Unscheduled outages are forcing farmers to wait for electricity before they can irrigate their fields.
The situation is becoming more difficult with temperatures rising. Local reports indicate that temperatures have increased by around 4–5 degrees Celsius, increasing the need for irrigation and putting additional pressure on electricity consumption.
For farmers growing crops dependent on borewell irrigation, even a few hours of interruption can disturb their planned irrigation cycles. Reports indicate that some villages are experiencing outages lasting three to five hours, particularly during evening and night-time periods.
Areas including Kurnool, Kodumuru, Adoni, Peddakaduburu, Holagunda, Alur, Kosigi, Pattikonda, Tuggali and other mandals have also witnessed complaints relating to power supply interruptions.
The issue is not limited to rural households. Small shops, workshops and other establishments that depend on uninterrupted electricity are also facing losses and operational difficulties.
Consumers are now seeking greater transparency from the power utilities regarding scheduled maintenance and outages. Farmers, in particular, want reliable supply during the hours when electricity is required for irrigation.
Power officials have been emphasising preventive maintenance and measures to identify vulnerable feeders and overloaded transformers. However, consumers say such measures need to translate into a visible reduction in unscheduled outages.
With electricity demand expected to remain high, ensuring reliable supply will be crucial not only for households but also for the agricultural economy.
