Facilitated restoration of power supply on war footing
Bhubaneswar(Kalinga Voice): Impact of Cyclone ‘Yaas’ on the electricity supply infrastructure was minimised significantly because of timely action by the Energy Department.
The Department had been planning in advance for a possible summer cyclone in the month of May, said Principal Secretary, Energy Nikunja Bihari Dhal. “The damages to Low Tension (LT) network could be minimised due to preventive maintenance, tree pruning, and other precautionary steps in advance.”
“We had meticulously planned and positioned men, materials and equipment at strategic locations to begin restoration work immediately after the cyclone recedes” he stated.
The Department had also stationed emergency restoration systems at Balasore, Bhadrak and Kendrapara; but the 220 and 132 kV transmission systems of OPTCL remained largely unaffected. The Department had made advanced planning to restore power supply to hospitals, oxygen filling units, telephone exchanges and water supply systems, and important public offices on priority.
In fact, all COVID hospitals and oxygen filling units of TPCODL have got power supply by now. Power supply has also started in Balasore, Bhadrak, Jajpur, Kendrapara towns too. “The Twin City of Bhubaneswar and Cuttack remained mostly unaffected,” added Dhal. Chief Minister has directed that power supply be restored to at least 80 percent of affected consumers in next 24 hours.
