Restoring power supply in Ganjam district, which faced the worst wrath of the Phailin is the biggest challenge for the Government, said Chief Secretary JK Mohapatra.
Though Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik stated on Sunday that power supply would be restored in all affected areas within a period of seven days, Energy Department officials on Tuesday said it might take two to three weeks to achieve the job.
The way the power infrastructure has been devastated, what is needed is rebuilding the entire system, said Mohapatra after visiting the cyclone-ravaged Ganjam along with Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik
There is not a single electric pole left standing erect, said an official in the district after Secretary of Energy Pradeep Kumar Jena asked about the requirement of steel poles. Jena rushed to Ganjam and reviewed the situation.
The power infrastructure loss would be t the tune of more than Rs 250 crore, said an official. While the entire power infrastructure is totally lost, the Narendrapur Grid, which provides power to five districts, has been damaged severely.
ACS to the Chief Minister Aditya Prasad Padhi talked to Union Steel Secretary G Mohan Kumar to ask the Steel Authority of India limited (SAIl) to provide steel poles on a priority basis.
Mohan Kumar asked SAIl Chairman to act immediately and Joint Secretary of Ministry of Steel UP Singh took up the matter with the Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP). RSP CEO GS Prasad has dispatched 1,000 poles to Ganjam.
Though the RINl (Vizag Steel Plant) was approached for supply of poles, it expressed its inability to meet the demand as it does not have the required size of poles. Steps are being taken to divert poles from inside and outside the State, said Jena.
Rebuilding of the power infrastructure needs at least 3,000 steel erectors while about 1,000 have already been dispatched to Ganjam, said an official. Due to the power failure, water supply has been disrupted in the urban areas of Ganjam, posing a bigger problem, said district Collector Krishnan Kumar.
Similarly, the power problem in Gajapati district is also grim as the damages to the networks are severe, said an official of the Southco.