Discoms in Odisha restore power connections to 3.4 mn houses

Half of Southco's affected consumers yet to receive electricity

Four power distribution companies (discoms) in the state have restored electricity connections to 3.4 million consumers out of 3.8 million consumers affected in the twin calamities of tropical storm Phailin and floods in the second week of October.

While biggest discom Central Electricity Supply Utility (CESU) has been able to restore electricity connection in 1.66 million households out of 1.69 million affected consumers, Northern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (Nesco) has restored electricity supply in 656,138 households, against 656,400 affected.

Western Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (Wesco) has completed restoration of electricity supply to all the affected consumers, estimated at 795,931. But Southern Electricity Supply Company of Odisha (Southco), which received the maximum damage to infrastructure due to the cyclonic storm, has reconnected half of its 744,174 affected consumers till date.

Ganjam district, where cyclone Phailin had its landfall, comes under the jurisdiction of Southco. The district was also ravaged by subsequent floods. The loss to power infrastructure in the district is estimated at over Rs 900 crore. The losses include 16,722 damaged substations and 10,397.52 km long LT cable lines.

Southco has so far restored cable lines of 2,090 km long and repaired 10,111 substations. The storm also damaged 349,939 electricity poles in the district.

Though the government has ordered Southco to restore power infrastructure in the region by the end of this month, sources said, it is highly unlikely.

Expect CESU, other three discoms--Wesco, Nesco and Southco are managed by Reliance Infra, which has majority stake in each of the companies. These private discoms are reluctant to spend money for restoration of the cyclone-hit infrastructure citing poor financial health. Since it was a natural calamity, they want the state government to provide financial support.

The government, meanwhile, has agreed to provide financial assistance to these private firms, as it fears the discoms may otherwise charge consumers in the form of higher power tariff.

The state government today alleged that Southco did not invest in upgrading power infrastructure, which is why it suffered the most while neighbouring districts in Andhra Pradesh reported minimum losses to power network after the cyclone hit the coast on October 12.

"Southco has not invested anything to upgrade the infrastructure," said Pradeep Kumar Jena, state energy secretary to a NDTV news channel.

Southco said, the power infrastructure was built to resist wind speed of 100 km per hour, but since the cyclone was a severe one, it could not stand the higher wind speed.