Hapless people were
seen tussling with
power supply
staff as the department
looked clueless on
the city’s power
scenario
Bhubaneswar: Even as 12 days have passed since extremely severe cyclonic storm Fani pulverised the state capital, many pockets in the smart city still struggled without power Tuesday. Hapless people were seen tussling with power supply staff as the department remained still clueless on the power scenario.
“It has been more than 12 days since electricity shunned us. Our lives and daily affairs have been paralysed for more than 12 days. A number of our daily works, either household or commercial, have come to a halt. Not all can afford generators,” said Khama Pradhan, a resident of Chandaka.
The state information and public relation (I&PR) secretary Sanjay Singh Tuesday admitted during a media briefing that pockets of even in Bhubaneswar have still been not able to get back power. He had admitted that it would take two more days to restore power in many areas in and around Bhubaneswar.
The secretary said, “Kalinganagar, Barang, Chandaka, Inforcity, Utara and SBI Colony in Bhubaneswar will be given electricity within two days. There were some technical issues in some areas due to which they could not be reconnected with electricity.”
He added that all consumers of BCDD-1 have been provided with electricity as on Tuesday. In BCDD-II, out of 97,000 urban consumers 95,000 have been provided electricity. In BCDD-II, charging rural feeders will be completed by Wednesday.
The government official also said, “73 per cent consumers of Cuttack and 70 per cent of consumers in Khurda have already been given electricity so far as urban and rural areas are concerned. 524 gangs have been engaged in restoration work to provide power to 29,01,171 consumers of severely damaged Puri district. It has been targeted to give electricity supply in Puri district at the earliest.”
On the city’s outskirts, people continued to suffer without power. Scorching heat compounded their woes. Operation in State Bank of India’s Kalinganagar branch was severely affected. Fewer manpower and a certain delay in starting of the power restoration work came in the way of fast restoration of power supply in the city.