With the Phailin damaging the power distribution system to the maximum extent in Ganjam district, the State Government has decided to take up ‘Disaster Proofing’ of the system in three towns of the district, Brahmapur, Chhatrapur and Gopalpur.
The cost of the project would be around Rs250 crore with more than one lakh consumers reaping the benefits.
The State Government has asked the Central PSU Power Grid Corporation of India limited (PGCIl) to do a detailed project report (DPR) for these three towns. PGCIl CMD RN Nayak has immediately agreed to the proposal, said sources in the Department of Energy here. Nayak was here to handover s cheque of Rs 1 crore as donation to the Chief Minister’s Relief Fund (CMRF).
Energy Secretary PK Jena held detailed discussion with Nayak and his officials. The Phailin-hit Ganjam district alone has suffered a loss of Rs900 crore in the power sector.
As a total underground cabling of the power lines would be more costly, the State Government has decided to opt for various options like underground cabling coupled with setting up of narrow based lattice structure (NBlS) towers and putting up of H poles, which are robust to withstand gale speed of 300 plus kilometers per hour.
The Phailin hit the Ganjam coast with speed of 200 plus kmph and damaged the power infrastructure very badly, for which the State Government is requesting the Union Government to provide grant to restore the power system.
The PGCIl would make a detailed survey and come up with the DPR for taking up the ‘Disaster Proofing’ job, said sources. PGCIl General Manager Venkat S Tata on Thursday held discussion with Jena in this regard and he would visit the three towns of Ganjam for a detailed mapping of the system and planning for the next decades.
With cyclones repeatedly hitting the power infrastructure in the coastal zones of the State, the State Government would undertake ‘Disaster Proofing’ of the power distribution system in a phased manner, said sources.
At least to begin with, several towns of coastal districts like Puri, Bhubaneswar, Cuttack, Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Paradip, Jajpur, Bhadrak and Baleswar, which are facing the wrath of cyclones, need ‘Disaster Proofing’, said an expert in the power distribution sector.
In fact, the State Government has already prepared a DPR of underground cabling of power distribution lines in Puri town. With some more modifications being taken up, the cost would be Rs100 crore.
Similar exercises are also needed to be undertaken in other towns so that power supply would be ‘foolproof’ during disasters, said the sources.