PHULBANI: The power supply woes of people in Kalahandi district will soon be a thing of the past as Sirtiguda grid sub-station is expected to become fully operational in next six months.
Winding up his three-day visit to Kalahandi on Thursday, chairman and managing director (CMD) of OTPCL Bhaskar Jyoti Sarma informed that the 220/33 KV grid sub-station at Sirtiguda in K Nuagaon block is likely to become operational in June 2026. Sharma was in the district to address existing bottlenecks delaying the project.
Stalled for the last seven years, the Sirtiguda grid has been constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 102 crore. The foundation stone for the project was laid in February 2016 with a completion target set for March 2018. Though construction of the sub-station building and installation of required equipment were completed by 2018, the project remained non-operational due to pending clearances from the Forest and Environment department.
According to the original plan, electricity is to be sourced from the Kesinga grid in Kalahandi. The primary goal is to provide stable electricity supply to Kotagrh, Tumudibandha, Daringbadi and K Nuagaon blocks besides the Baliguda NAC area.
A total of 382 towers were planned for construction between Sirtiguda and Kesinga via M Rampur to supply electricity. However, only 324 towers have been built so far.
Official sources said construction of the remaining towers has not yet begun as these are located within protected forest areas. The Forest department is yet to grant the necessary permission, resulting in a legal and administrative stalemate.
Baliguda divisional forest officer (DFO) Ghanashyam Mahanta said, “Stage-1 clearance has been received from the Central government. Once OTPCL provides the required data to the department, a final approval letter will be sent to the Ministry of Environment.”
In addition to the Sirtiguda project, Sarma emphasised efforts to resolve electricity issues in Phulbani town. Currently dependent on a single power feeder, the town will soon be connected to multiple sources including the feeders from Boudh, G Udayagiri and Baliguda, ensuring greater reliability for the local population.