Visakhapatnam:
At one of the government hospitals in Visakhapatnam, Sathyavathi gave birth to her baby just a few hours ago. The young mother nurses the newborn in the dark. There is not even a fan for some whiff of fresh air. Like her, at least 40 mothers and their newborns silently suffer the heat. Family members provide some relief using traditional palm leaf fans.
Sathyavathi tells NDTV, "There is no fan and no water. We sweat in the heat. My family can't afford admission at a private hospital."
The hospital has a generator, but authorities say they are saving it for emergency.
Not far away, things are not different at the King George Hospital which caters to three districts.
Though the hospital spends Rs 20,000 on diesel every day, they are unable to provide uninterrupted power supply.
At the Neo Natal Intensive Care Unit, not all incubators are turned on for want of power. Babies born premature face a life-threatening situation.
The employees of the electricity department responsible for the crippling power cuts are on strike against the creation of Telangana. Over the last two months, doctors at government and private hospitals have been protesting, only attending to emergencies. From doctors to government servants to blue collar workers, the common refrain is Telangana will hit their economic growth if Hyderabad is given away as its capital.
With no electricity, train services are chugging in late, many up to ten hours, stranding thousands. Public transport buses too are off roads. But not many in Seemandhra are complaining. A young student whose family had to wait for hours at the railway station to catch their train says, "We are ready to undergo anything for the cause of united Andhra."
The Seemandhrites look at this as a self-inflicted punishment, denying themselves electricity, transport and even salaries. Would this bring about a change of heart at the Centre? Seemandhrites believe this would.