Power in Jamnagar today

VADODARA, June 11: Power is likely to be restored to cyclone-ravaged Jamnagar on Friday. Gujarat Electricity Board Member Administration S...

VADODARA, June 11: Power is likely to be restored to cyclone-ravaged Jamnagar on Friday. Gujarat Electricity Board Member Administration S K Nanda told reporters on Friday that the transmission lines to Jamnagar would be commissioned on Friday. The city will also receive 30 per cent of its daily quota of water

.Nanda said the GEB would seek Central aid to take care of the damages inflicted by the cyclone on transmission towers and property in Saurashtra, all of which had been estimated at Rs 510 crores.

Member Finance J S Rana said that though the actual damage to towers, lines and material had been pegged at Rs 313 crore, the Board was expected to suffer a daily revenue loss of Rs 20 crore for the next 10 days.

This was the highest loss the Board had suffered since 1982, Nanda said, adding that the damage then had been worth more than Rs 100 crores. While the 1996 cyclone in Veraval had damaged 27 transmission towers, worth Rs 27 crores, this time, 250 towers had been damaged, he said, adding that though temporary repairs would restore transmission lines within a week, permanent restoration would take up to a month.

The Porbandar GIDC sub-station began functioning from 3.30 p.m. on Thursday and the Madhavpur and Seal sub-stations were expected to be operational by tonight. Jamnagar received water today after diesel generator sets swung into action. The GEB has tied up with Reliance and Digjam, while a 250-MW diesel generating unit has been set up at the Irwin Hospital. A 250 MW set from Rajkot has also been despatched to Jamnagar. According to Nanda, each diesel generator cost Rs 25,000 daily.

The Board member said 22 GEB teams were carrying out relief operations in the coastal areas. The Board8217;s main concern was Gandhidham, he said, adding that efforts were being made to operate the Wankaner-Samkhiyali-Bhachau-Anjar line, which would be extended to provide power to Gandhidham. The Wankaner-Jamnagar transmission line will be restored by Friday.

Earlier, within 48 hours of the cyclone hitting the State8217;s western coast, the Board had restored power supply to 4,800 to 5,000 villages of the total 6925 affected, while 62 of the affected 109 sub-stations became operational.

Story continues below this ad

Power supply was also restored to some 3,000 villages between Vadodara and Valsad. Though more than 250 transmission towers had collapsed, water was made available to Porbander, Ranavav and Jamnagar on Thursday morning, while Dwarka, Anjar and Gandhidham were expected to get it by the night, according to highly-placed sources in the GEB.