Power for Mumbai in 24 hrs: Anil

Reliance Energy draws up Rs 100 cr disaster mitigation plan.

A day after the Maharashtra government issued an ultimatum to Reliance Energy for restoring power supply to several parts of Mumbai suburbs, the power utility's chairman Anil Ambani said today Mumbai's 22,000 residential consumers of REL would have their power connections restored in the next 12 to 24 hours.

Ambani said that 100 new distribution transformers had been procured from all over India (inclusive of 50 from New Delhi and 35 from Maharashtra) and would reach the city in 48 hours.

"Of the 36, 340 electricity consumers of REL in the Kurla, Saki Naka, Bandra, Kalina, Santa Cruz, Versova and Goregaon areas of Mumbai who are without power supply today, 22,000 odd are residential consumers. The 14,000 odd industrial consumers who are without power have informed us that they are not in a position to resume their operations for another seven to 15 days on account of intense waterlogging," Ambani said.

He added that as of 2 pm today, 23.61 lakh REL consumers were receiving power. He added that in most of the areas where electricity was disconnected, the distribution transformers were under six feet of water.

"Even when we attempted to reach the affected sites with portable generators we were advised against switching them on by authorities to prevent the possibility of electrocution," he said.

"At the moment 125 engineers are being brought in from the Ahmedabad Electricity and Surat Electricity who will be on standby to assist in the power restoration operations being undertaken by REL. The entire meter replacement and support infrastructure costs for residential consumers in Mumbai will be provided by REL free of cost. In addition to this 15 days of interest free credit period for all bills raised in the billing cycle of July will be provided to consumers," Ambani said.

Giving a breakup of the non-functional transformers he said that 54 out of 90 transformers were inactive in the Kula, Saki Naka and Chunnabatti area, 19 in Bandra, Kalina and Santa Cruz, four in Ambyvalley in Versova and 13 more in the Goregaon and Chinchwati areas of Mumbai.

Ambani announced a Rs 100 crore disaster mitigation plan by REL that amongst other things will seek to increase the positioning of transformers in the city from the existing four feet height to eight feet, a full fledged disaster management and recovery plan that would be proposed before the state electricity regulator for consent and approval.

"In addition to this, we will be working with three international firms manufacturing electrical equipment as well as an international power utility for an accelerated implementation of the disaster management and safety plan," Ambani said.