"We have to depend on hotspot to survive": Frequent power cuts forcing AP employees to return to offices

Visakhapatnam: When work from home was introduced in Andhra Pradesh amidst the COVID-19 pandemic, it came as good news for software employees who headed back to their hometowns. But the frequent power cuts in the state, that last for at least five-six hours, are forcing people to go back to the offices.

Due to the power cuts, employees working from home in villages are going to their relatives place. The situation is even worse for those on night shifts.

Back to office

"We have been working from home for the past two years. We have never seen power cuts in the last four years, but now there are power cuts for three-four hours and the whole night. We hardly get one-two hours of power backup on old laptops. I'm working in a telecom company based out of Pune and the power goes out during critical times. As work is being disrupted, we have been asked to come back to the office," said Hemanth from Anantapur.

Meanwhile, some fear they will lose their jobs. "When we tell the managers that we couldn't complete the day's work due to a power cut they tell us that power cut can be a reason one or two times (for work disruption), but not every day. We cannot work using mobile hotspots within hours of a power cut. At times, I fear losing my job if the situation continues like this," said Prasad, a software employee from Kurnool.

Rajesh from Bommanahal village in Anantapur said the power cuts are unpredictable in his village. "Despite working so efficiently for the last two years, we are now being blamed for poor work status by our higher officials. They ask us to come back to the office or put our best into work. Relocating to Bangalore along with our family again is a burden on our daily expenses," he said.

Hotspot is the solution

"I work for a broadband company, and the internet is the main thing. Once we lose power, it takes at least four-five hours. We have to depend on hotspot to survive," said Rahul, a resident of the Kurnool district.

Friends to the rescue

Satish, a resident of Padalakuri village in the Nellore district, has to go to a friend's house whenever there is a power cut. "We cannot finish our deadline and there is high pressure from our manager. Whenever there are power cuts in my village, I have to go to my friend's place and work. They have a power backup facility," he said.

The power cut problem in Andhra Pradesh is getting worse, especially in the hospitals. where a mother, the staff of NTR Government Hospital in Narsipatnam, had to deliver a baby with the help of mobile phone lights following hours of power loss and generator failure. There was no power backup in the hospital, and her baby was delivered under cell phone lights.

In a similar incident in Adoni Area Government Hospital in the Kurnool district, where patients had a horrible experience for more than five hours after no power supply. Two generators at the hospital did not work due to technical problems.