Bhubaneswar: As people’s suffering in the cyclone-hit areas worsened, authorities struggled to restore power in the affected areas, citing lack of manpower.
Affected people in almost all places in coastal districts continued to remain in dark even four days after the natural disaster hit the state, raising questions on the tall claims of the state government that they were fully ready to tackle any kind of eventuality arising from the severe cyclonic storm Fani.
Power restoration work went on at a snail’s pace. As per the latest report available with the government till Tuesday evening, out of a total of 25,05,556 consumers under the Central Electricity Service Utility (CESU), only 8,41,320 households are having electricity.
Only 201 domestic consumers in the capital city have got power supply while not a single domestic consumer in affected areas of Puri and Khurda districts has got power supply. However, power restoration work was over at AIIMS, Capital Hospital, railway station, airport, Naveen Niwas, Governor’s House and State Secretariat. There are 5,66,223 consumers in Khurda district while the number in Puri district stood at 2,91,171.
“In Bhubaneswar, we have restored power in 10 per cent of households and hope that it will increase to 20-25 per cent Tuesday night. The work is going on in full swing,” said CESU, Sr GM (HR) Subrat Mishra. The situation is similar in Cuttack city. Power has not been restored at maximum places of the city. Similarly, the government was able to provide power supply to only 20 per cent of consumers in Jagatsinghpur, 50 per cent in Paradip, 30 per cent in Salipur, 70 per cent in Marsaghai and 80 per cent in Kendrapara.
Speaking to Orissa POST, LN Kar from GGP Colony said, “If this is how the government handles the situation in the capital, god help other areas in the state.” A senior official of energy department told OP that lack of skilled manpower is the major reason behind the slow progress of power restoration. “Though nearly 200 personnel have come from Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal, it is not sufficient. We have requested other states like Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and West Bengal to mobilize manpower as much as they can and send them to our state,” the official said.
The energy secretary Hemant Sharma has written to his counterparts in the neghibouring states.
At present, 258 gangs (each gang comprising 10 personnel) are being engaged in different electrical division of CESU for the job. Besides, the National Disaster Response Force (NDRF) personnel are also assisting in the restoration work, he added.