BHUBANESWAR: With people yet to recover from the impact of cyclone Fani, the strongest to hit Odisha after the 1999 Super Cyclone, the major challenge facing them is lack of electricity and water supply. Over 30 lakh consumers of nine out of 11 affected districts will have to live without electricity for a few more days as restoration of power supply will not be possible immediately. Residents of the Capital City, where damage to power infrastructure is maximum, will have to wait a little longer.
“It will take at least five to seven days to restore normalcy in power supply in the State Capital while we expect to complete restoration works in Cuttack city within three days. However, it may take a bit longer for Puri where the devastation to power structures is maximum,” said Energy Secretary Hemanta Sharma after a review meeting with senior CESU officials.
Though the extent of damage has not been estimated, Sharma exuded confidence that power supply to five lakh consumers will be restored by late Saturday evening.“We are trying our best to restore power supply to all vital installations including water pump houses at Kuakhai, Palasuni and Mundali, Capital Hospital, Secretariat, Raj Bhawan and Biju Patnaik International Airport by Saturday evening,” Sharma said.
Similarly, restoration works are underway on a war footing to supply power to SCB Medical College and Hospital, Sishu Bahwan, Cantonment, Odisha High Court and Baxibazar area, he said.As per preliminary report, five 400 KV substations including Mendhasal, 25 220 KV substations and 15 132 KV substations have received extensive damage. Reports received from the affected districts stated that damage to power infrastructure is maximum in Puri and Khurda districts. Around 90 per cent electric poles (33 KV and 11 KV) in the two districts need replacement as these structures have been twisted.
Apart from Puri and Khurda, the other districts where power supply has been hit are Cuttack, Jagatsingpur, Kendrapara, Jajpur, Bhadark, parts of Balasore and Ganjam.Manpower shortage being the major problem in power restoration, Sharma said around 200 gangs (2,000 people) are engaged in the Capital City while 100 gangs are deployed in Cuttack, Kendrapara and Jagatsinghpur. Another 300 gangs will be deployed on Sunday or a day after, the Energy Secretary said.
More manpower has been mobilised from Andhra Pradesh (200 gangs) and Jamshedpur (100 gangs). National thermal power majors NTPC, Tata and L&T have also promised to depute an additional 500 gangs for restoration works. They will join within a day or two, Sharma added.