Naxal blasts cause blackout in 4 districts of Chhattisgarh

Jagdalpur, Chhattisgarh, June 1 (UNI) Potable water supply, train movement and essential services have taken a body blow in four districts of Chhattisgarh that suffered a blackout after naxal-triggered explosions demolished three power pylons at Palli village beside Dantewada district's Barsu-Narayanpur road, official sources said.

Extremism-affected Bastar, Narayanpur, Dantewada and Bijapur districts are without electricity since last evening. Production ground to a halt at the NMDC's Bailadila mine and that translates into a daily loss of about Rs 15 crore. Movement was affected on the Bailadila-Visakhapatnam rail route. A couple of trains were plying courtesy an alternative power arrangement.

''It might take about a week for normalcy to be restored,'' said Chhattisgarh State Electricity Board (CSEB) Chairman Rajeev Ranjan.

Towers were being transported from Bhilai. Police and CSEB officials left for Palli from Barsu and would take at least two days to reach the village. The team would cover about 50 km on foot.

UNI