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The state government hopes to initiate the tender process for the Asian Development Bank (ADB) assisted disaster resilient power system project by March 2015.
The project to cost Rs 999 crore will be implemented in Ganjam, the southern Odisha district worst hit by Phailin. The detailed project report (DPR) for the disaster resilient power system is ready.
Of the total project cost, Rs 280 crore would be spent on transmission, Rs 700 crore on distribution, Rs 11 crore on smart grid and Rs eight crore on setting up 8 Mw solar photo voltaic (PV) power plant.
A smart grid is a modernised electrical grid that uses analogue or digital information and communication technology to gather and act on information to improve the efficiency, reliability, economics, and sustainability of the production and distribution of electricity.
ADB has agreed to provide Rs 615 crore loan for the project. The residual Rs 384 crore will be borne by the state government. The ADB loan is meant for cyclone insulated infrastructure for transmission and distribution of electricity in the coastal zone and also for strengthening river and saline embankments.
Phailin that hit the state’s southern coast near Gopalpur on October 12 last year, caused extensive damage to the power infrastructure with almost the whole of Ganjam district plunging into darkness. While people in the district had to cope up without electricity for weeks, it took over two months to achieve full restoration of the power infrastructure.
Around Rs 300 crore has been spent to repair and rebuild the power infrastructure in Ganjam alone where 80 per cent of 33/11 KV lines were damaged due to the cyclone.
Phailin had battered nearly 1,600 km of 11 KV lines in Ganjam district while 241 km of 33 KV lines were badly damaged. The rebuilding exercise included replacement of 300 distribution sub-stations and 54 extra high tension towers. Besides, 13,000 km of low tension lines had to be repaired.
