Southco close to restoration of electricity in Ganjam

Nearly two months after severe cyclone Phailin hit Odisha, power distribution company Southco said it was close to restoration of electricity supply in worst-hit Ganjam district.

About 4,000 out of 55,000 consumers in 70 locations, including 33 villages and 37 hamlets, are waiting for power restoration in the district by Friday evening, sources said.

The power distribution company also claimed to supply power to almost all the public utilities like the water supply points of the Public Health Engineering Department (PHED), health centres and BSNL towers.

The company submitted the progress of the power restoration in the district to district collector Krishan Kumar on Friday evening, on the eve of the deadline fixed by the government for completion of restoration of power in the cyclone-hit district.

State's Energy Secretary P K Jena had asked the Southco official to complete the restoration work by December 7. He had also asked the company to submit the list of villages where electricity has been restored to the district collector.

The collector will intimate the government about the progress of the achievements on power restoration.

Meanwhile, Southco has notified the list of villages and hamlets where restoration of power is yet to be made. The company has also appealed to the public to intimate its control room set up in its corpoarate office here, if any of location was left-out in the non-restoration list to take immediate action.

Dispute between villages, demand of villagers for upgradation of existing power network, standing crops in paddy fields, water logging and inaccessibility to work sites were some of the reasons for delay in restoration of power in the district, company sources said.

It claimed the progress in restoration work was good despite the numerous problems after the cyclone. Phailin, which hit the district on October 12 had damaged 460-km KV line, 35 primary sub-stations, 3130-km 11-KV line, 5872-km of low transmission line, and 1739 distribution transformers, sources said.