Cyclone Yaas: Bengal power utilities better prepared than Amphan time
PTI, May 25, 2021, 8:02 AM IST
Image for representation
Kolkata: The two power utilities of West Bengal on Monday claimed that they are better prepared for Cyclone Yaas, which is likely to hit the state and Odisha on May 26, than they were before last year’s storm, Amphan.
The state-owned West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) and private utility CESC Limited, which supplies power to Kolkata and adjoining areas including Howrah, said they aim to minimise inconvenience to consumers.
“This year we are better prepared than the time of Amphan. Then we had a shortage of manpower as many of them had gone to their hometown due to the lockdown during the first wave.
“But this year we have 2,500 people on the ground, which is more than double that we had last year,” CESC Vice President (Distribution) Avijit Ghosh said.
He said that it will keep restoration gangs at police station levels and ward levels across CESCs network. Some 20 per cent of the network of CESC is overhead, which is more prone to disruptions.
The number emergency facilities have gone up this year as Covid-19 vaccine cold chain centres and temporary Covid points have been set up, Ghosh said.
“We will try to ensure uninterrupted services,” he said.
The coordination with other agencies like the police and the Kolkata Municipal Corporation is better this time following the experience of Cyclone Amphan which had hit the state in June last year.
A WBSEDCL official said that priority will be given to the restoration of power lines to the medical establishments such as hospitals, safe homes, vaccine storage areas, drinking water lines, mobile towers and crematoriums.
Leaves of all employees have been suspended, and at least three gangs will be deployed at each block of the state under its distribution area, the official said.
Both CESC and WBSEB set up emergency call centres to receive complaints.
For CESC, the numbers are 3501-1912/4403- 1912/18605001912.
The dedicated numbers of WBSEBs round-the-clock control room are 8900793503 and 8900793504.
Udayavani is now on Telegram. Click here to join our channel and stay updated with the latest news.
Top News
Related Articles More
BGT Day 1: Bumrah leads India’s spectacular bowling comeback after batting no-show
India crawl to 51 for 4 after losing top-order
Mohammed Shami ridicules Sanjay Manjrekar over comments on reduced IPL value
There’s potential for disruption in India camp with Rohit coming back in Adelaide: Ponting
We are not carrying baggage from New Zealand series: Bumrah
MUST WATCH
Latest Additions
Decide on disqualification petitions against BRS MLAs in reasonable time: HC
Air India to offer integrated aircraft maintenance engineering programme
Awards don’t create value for independent films in India: Manoj Bajpayee
Karnataka bypolls: Outcome crucial for both ruling and oppn camps
Belagavi: Was youth killed for an iPhone? Police launch intensive probe
Thanks for visiting Udayavani
You seem to have an Ad Blocker on.
To continue reading, please turn it off or whitelist Udayavani.