BHUBANESWAR: Amid an intense heatwave sweeping across the state, the power demand has surged to an all-time high of 6,739 MW.
The current peak load has gone up to nearly 300 MW, higher than last year’s peak demand of 6,447 MW. In Bhubaneswar alone, demand has increased by 17 per cent to 750 MW this summer from 641 MW during last season, officials said on Sunday.
To tackle the unprecedented load and weather-related disruptions, the Tata Power-led distribution companies (discoms) have activated a large-scale emergency response mechanism for ensuring uninterrupted electricity supply and faster restoration services.
The discoms have deployed more than 26,000 field personnel, including maintenance crews, fault repair teams, supervisors and safety officers, across the state for round-the-clock operations, said Tata Power.
The utilities have also positioned critical restoration infrastructure, including 67 power transformers, nearly 5,000 distribution transformers, over 60,000 electric poles and around 9,000 km of conductors and cables. Emergency equipment such as tower wagons, hydraulic machines, mobile substations, dewatering pumps and tree-pruning machinery have been kept on standby for rapid deployment during outages caused by Kalbaisakhi storms, lightning and strong winds.
A centralised power distribution technology centre (PDTC), supported by circle- and division-level control rooms, is monitoring the distribution network 24x7 to enable quick fault detection and restoration. The discoms have also operationalised a 24-hour integrated customer care centre. Consumers can report outages through IVRS, mobile applications, websites, WhatsApp and missed-call services, while real-time restoration updates are being communicated through SMS and social media platforms, the company said.
The utilities are also coordinating with district administrations, fire services, ODRAF and civic agencies to clear fallen trees and other obstructions affecting power infrastructure during storms. The discoms said special precautions are being taken for frontline workers facing extreme heat exposure.