Vijayawada was closed over the weekend after the Cabinet's decision on Telangana
24-year-old Suresh Ganpathy, an MBA student, has been waiting at the Vijayawada railway station since yesterday, trying to get any train that will take him closest to his destination.
He was to report to college in Vishakhapatnam today, but he finds himself at the country's second busiest railway junction, resting his tired head on a bag while he waits for a train out.
The strike by thousands of electricity employees has led to a power crisis which has forced the cancellation of nearly 35 passenger trains in the region since yesterday. This, at a time when trains are usually packed due to festival rush.
A railway spokesperson told NDTV that diesel locomotives are being used to help trains reach the next destination where power is restored.
Since Friday evening, the Vijayawada thermal power station, which generates close to 1800 megawatts of power each day, has been generating minimal power with only one of its seven units functioning. Now even the last unit has been shut down by some 30,000 employees who are protesting against Telangana.
Andhra Pradesh consumes close to 5000 megawatts power in the day and another 5000-6000 megawatts after sundown. Hydel power plants are generating more power than usual to make up for the loss of power generation from the coastal belt.
The employees across Seemandhra region, the 13 districts of Andhra Pradesh including those in the Rayalaseema region and Coastal region, have been striking since July 30, when the ruling Congress announced the formation of Telangana with Hyderabad as its capital.