Nellore: El Nino heat strains power supply as ACB targets toll plaza corruption
Nellore district has been contending with mounting power demand as El Nino conditions push temperatures higher, stretching the district's electricity allocation beyond its assigned limits. On a separate front, the Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted surprise checks at a toll plaza near Kavali, seizing Rs 2.48 lakh from transport officials alleged to have been collecting illegal payments from vehicle drivers.
🗳️ El Nino heat pushes Nellore power demand beyond daily quota
El Nino heat has pushed power demand in Nellore district beyond the daily electricity quota allocated to the region, according to a report by The New Indian Express published on September 12, 2026. P Sudhakar, the District Superintending Engineer for power, stated directly: the daily quota being allocated to the district is not sufficient, forcing authorities to procure additional power. The report, by journalists S Nagaraja Rao and Surendra Kumar Devarapati, notes that Kadapa district is similarly affected, with both areas under sustained pressure from the intensified heat driven by the El Nino weather phenomenon. The need to procure power beyond the allocated quota means district authorities must actively source supplementary electricity to meet day-to-day consumption. This requirement places additional costs and logistical pressures on the local power distribution infrastructure. El Nino events are associated with above-normal temperatures across parts of South India, and Nellore faces periods of intense heat that the phenomenon amplifies. The district's power infrastructure, working within tight quota allocations, is being pushed to its limits by the sustained and above-normal temperatures. The District Superintending Engineer's statement makes clear that the shortfall is not an occasional irregularity but a persistent daily gap that must be addressed through additional procurement, placing the spotlight on how climate variability directly strains civic infrastructure in Andhra Pradesh's coastal belt. [2]
🗳️ ACB seizes Rs 2.48 lakh in Nellore transport official sting
The Andhra Pradesh Anti-Corruption Bureau conducted surprise checks at a toll plaza near Kavali in the SPSR Nellore district, seizing Rs 2.48 lakh in the operation, according to IANS reporting published in Telangana Today on September 6, 2026. The ACB alleged that a Motor Vehicle Inspector was collecting illegal gratification from vehicle drivers with the assistance of others at the toll point near Kavali. The operation was described as a surprise check, indicating that the bureau acted on prior intelligence and arrived unannounced so as to catch the officials in the act. The amount seized, Rs 2.48 lakh, represents the cash found at this single toll plaza during the checks. Kavali is a town in the SPSR Nellore district, and toll plazas in the area serve as important passage points for commercial vehicles and private transport moving through the district. The ACB's operation at this location is a signal to transport officials across the district about the reach and willingness of the bureau to carry out unannounced field inspections. The allegation that the Motor Vehicle Inspector was collecting payments with the assistance of others suggests a coordinated arrangement rather than an isolated act of individual wrongdoing. The Anti-Corruption Bureau's active field presence in the Nellore area reflects the continuing effort by Andhra Pradesh authorities to address corruption in departments that interact regularly with the public and with the commercial transport sector. [5]
Sources: [2] The New Indian Express · [5] Telangana Today