BENGALURU: Karnataka will send 1,000 staffers from its five state-run power distribution companies to help restore the crippled power network in Odisha in the aftermath of cyclone Fani. This follows Chief Minister H D Kumaraswamy’s directive to Chief Secretary T M Vijay Bhaskar to offer assistance in restoring the devastated infrastructure in Odisha, which was ravaged by the cyclone on May 3.
The Chief Secretary told The New Indian Express, “We agreed to provide assistance to the Chief Secretary of Odisha. They need a total of 100 teams to restore the power network. Our first batch will leave on Monday from Bengaluru.”
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd (BESCOM) Managing Director C Shikha said, “BESCOM will send 317 employees comprising 300 linemen as well as junior engineers, assistant engineers and assistant executive engineers to Bhubaneswar by train on May 13. They will carry their safety gear and tool kits.”
According to a senior railway official, Tatkal Special 06561 to Odisha will depart at 3.30pm from Cantonment. Mangalore Electricity Supply Company Ltd, Hubli Electricity Supply Company Ltd, Gulbarga Electricity Supply Company Ltd and Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation will send their staffers to Odisha in the coming days, the MD added.
According to reports from Odisha, 70% of Bhubaneswar and the entire Puri district are still plunged in darkness even after a week since the deadly cyclone hit the state. Apart from uprooting 1.5 lakh electricity poles, the cyclone has damaged 75 high transmission towers and at least 10,000 distribution transformers.
Asked if the dispatch of such a large number of staffers would affect restoration of power supply in Bengaluru, which has been experiencing frequent power cuts, Shikha said, “That is why we have decided not to meet the entire requirement for Odisha from BESCOM alone. Staff members will be sent in batches from other electricity concerns in the state. The need for help in Odisha is acute and we want to provide immediate assistance. BESCOM had supplied staffers to help restore electricity in Tamil Nadu as well when Cyclone Gaja hit.”
The MD said it was proving tough to get reserved tickets at a short notice for a huge number of BESCOM employees. “The Railways immediately came to our rescue by earmarking four or five coaches in its Bhubaneswar-bound train only for our staff,” she said.
A separate WhatsApp group had been created with members of electricity distribution firms in both Odisha and Karnataka for effective coordination.