Power supply has been restored to the MKCG Medical College and Hospital, two major drinking water supply units and the Telephone Bhavan in Brahmapur since Wednesday, three days after the cyclone Phailin.
Energy Secretary PK Jena said efforts are on to restore normalcy in power supply in the worst-hit Ganjam district and other affected areas. The situation in Ganjam is precarious as thousands of electric poles, transformers, high-tension towers and even grid stations have been completely destroyed and need rebuilding and not repair.
He said efforts are underway to provide temporary power supply in Ganjam district within 10 to 12 days. The electrical infrastructure in all the 22 blocks and 18 towns in the district have been badly affected. Of the 30,000 km of electric line damaged in the State, 13,000 km is in Ganjam district alone. Even 54 big high-tension towers have been damaged, Jena said.
Besides transformers, about 30,000 electric poles have been damaged. The Rourkela Steel Plant (RSP) has started supplying 1,000 electric poles to be installed in Ganjam district, he said. Brahmapur, Gopalpur, Chhatrapur and Rangeilunda are the problem areas, he said, adding that Brahmagiri and Krushnaprasad in Puri district and Balugaon in Khurda would also need special attention.
Meanwhile, Vice Chairman of National Disaster Management Authority M Shashidhar Reddy has informed that 300 electrical experts are being sent to Odisha for deployment in the cyclone-hit areas where there is no power since the Phailin took place. On power restoration in the seven flood-hit districts, Jena said electricity would be supplied to all the places where water has receded by October 18. Many transformers have been completely submerged, he said.