Kolkata: In the wake of cyclone 'Sitrang', state Power minister Aroop Biswas conducted a review meeting at Vidyut Bhawan, giving necessary directives to the district officials to ensure prompt repairing works in case of incidents. The department has already cancelled leave of its employees.
Visits to the households in some of the South Bengal districts will take place to ensure that there are no loose connections in the lightings put out on display outside houses on the occasion of Kali Puja or Diwali. The central control room will be made operational at Vidyut Bhawan from Saturday which will keep in touch with the various district administrations. All the regional, zonal offices of the Power department will also operate round-the-clock control rooms. During a video conference with the officials of the zonal, divisional and regional offices of the department, the minister directed them to make arrangements for adequate manpower to combat any situation, which might occur due to the cyclonic storm.
More than 69,817 employees of the department, including officers will be deployed to handle the situation. Around 1,582 offices of the department will remain open throughout the state till the cyclonic storm is over.
"Around 52,568 electric poles, 6,519 transformers and adequate quantity of HT cable, LT cable and electric wires have been kept on standby to meet any unforeseen situation. Round-the-clock control rooms have been made operational from Saturday. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee instructed us to make adequate arrangements of materials and manpower to meet any difficult situation that may arise after the cyclonic storm hits. Our officials will also go to Kali Puja pandals to ensure that the connections are not snapped off due to the gusty winds," Biswas said.
The West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) will open toll-free number 19121 from Saturday and two other 24x7 control room numbers — 8900793503/8900793504. CESC will also operate toll-free control room number 1912. Two other control room numbers managed by the CESC are 9831079666/9831083700.
The CESC will also deploy around 5,000 employees and officials so that prompt action can be taken in case of an emergency. Districts like South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, Jhargram, Bankura, Purulia, East Midnapore and West Midnapore have been alerted.
A low-pressure system over the Andaman Sea is likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm and reach West Bengal-Bangladesh coasts on October 25, causing wind gusting to 110 km per hour, the IMD said on Friday.
Sanjib Bandyopadhyay, the Deputy Director-General of Regional MeT Centre in Kolkata, said: "Wind speed of 45 to 55 km gusting to 65 kmph will occur in the coastal districts of South 24-Parganas, North 24-Parganas and Purba Medinipur on October 24, while on October 25, wind speed will reach 90 to 100 kmph gusting to 110 kmph." Wind speed of 30 to 40 kmph gusting to 50 kmph will occur in Kolkata and adjoining districts of Howrah and Hooghly, he said.