Cyclone Fani demolishes mobile infra, losses could touch Rs 800 cr

Operators asked to mobilise cell on wheels (CoW); state is providing them generators to run the services as power still eludes about half the consumers in Bhubaneswar and Cuttack

Fani, the extremely severe cyclonic storm, has torn apart Odisha's telecom infrastructure after pounding the state's eastern coast near Puri on May 3.

Government officials estimate the loss to range between Rs 500 crore and Rs 800 crore. The detailed reports on devastation to the telecom infrastructure facilities is being worked out. The summer storm of intense severity has wreaked damage on the telecom operators facilities in Puri, Bhubaneswar and Cuttack, crippling mobile and landline services.

At Puri, the site of the cyclone's landfall, a staggering 91 per cent of about 800 BTSes (Base Transceiver Stations) have been damaged extensively.