Cyclone Biparjoy: Gujarat power companies suffer Rs 1,013 cr loss

Gujarat government's data has revealed that the damage caused to the power companies due to Cyclone Biparjoy is estimated to be valued at Rs 1,013 crore, while electricity will be restored in the affected areas by June 30.

The Energy Department said that the cyclonic winds and heavy rainfall caused significant damage to the electricity transmission and distribution network of eight affected districts in the Saurashtra-Kutch region and two districts in North Gujarat -- Patan and Banaskantha.

The restoration process involved reinstating the power supply in 140 kmph wind-speed-prone areas, including the repair and re-establishment of power towers, substations, power lines, transformers, and service cables.

A total of 12 substations with capacities of 400 kVA, 220 kVA, and 132 kVA that had suffered disruption in power supply have now been reinstated in all the substations. However, in 66 substations with capacities of 243 kVA and 76 transmission towers remain damaged.

To expedite the restoration process, teams comprising over 1,089 personnel from PGVCL, GUVNL, MGVCL, DGVCL and UGVCL have been deployed in the affected districts.

The restoration of power supply has already been completed in eight districts, covering a total of 3,495 towns and 4,917 villages.

However, due to heavy waterlogging and difficulty in reaching certain areas, power restoration in the remaining 28 villages is still pending.