Storm-prone Odisha revives plan to build disaster resilient power infra

Move follows estimated damage of Rs 8,000 crore caused by Fani; earlier project costing Rs 1,820 cr could not be taken forward after both ADB and state energy dept lost interest

Wracked by a summer storm of immense ferocity, the Odisha government has revived the plan to develop disaster-resilient power infrastructure.

Fani, a very severe cyclonic storm with wind speeds gusting to 200 km per hour, barrelled in the state’s eastern coast near Puri on May 3. The state’s vulnerable power infrastructure was badly damaged by the cyclone, posing a great challenge to the state administration to rebuild the ravaged poles.

Known for its susceptibility to recurring cyclones, the Odisha government had, back in 2013, planned to install a disaster-immune power transmission network. The project was planned for areas in and around Gopalpur where Phailin, an extremely severe cyclonic storm made landfall in October 2013. Estimated to cost Rs 1,820 crore, the project was to be part-financed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB) with a contribution of Rs 615 crore. However, it failed to take off as the multilateral donor agency backed out after evincing initial interest in it. Meanwhile, the state energy department too lost interest in the ambitious project.

Of late, the plan, in limbo for about seven years, has gained currency after Fani’s strike. In the cyclone’s aftermath, Odisha’s power infrastructure has sustained damage of over Rs 8,000 crore, affecting over three million consumers. Realising the gravity of the damage, the state energy department is keen to broafd-base the power scheme. This time, the disaster proof power network will span the entire length of Odisha’s coastal strip.

“Officials of World Bank and ADB have done a recce of the areas affected by Fani cyclone. We have had incipient talks with their authorities for availing credit. The plan involves a complete replacement of all the traditional electric poles in the coastal zones,” said an official privy to the development.

Some estimates peg the cost of power system overhaul to exceed Rs 20,000 crore for a foolproof project. The state energy department, though, is looking to trim costs by abandoning the underground cabling network, which could cost six or seven times as much as normal conductors. A viable alternative is in the form of H-poles used by Railways. The other option is erecting T-poles resistant to squally winds and already in use in Gujarat and Kerala.

On its own, the energy department is implementing the State Capital Region Improvement in Power Supply (SCRIPS). The scheme, envisaged as one of the components of the disaster resilient power system, is taken up at a cost of Rs 1,500 crore to ensure uninterrupted power supply in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack.