Three days on, no water, electricity; offices shut

 Life is increasingly becoming difficult to the people of the worst-cyclone affected district of Odisha, with electricity supply yet to be restored and banks and other public offices remaining shut for three days after the deadly storm.

Electric poles and mobile towers had fallen in the strong cyclonic winds on Saturday night, snapping power supply as well as internet and telephone lines.

Long queues are being witnessed at petrol pumps which have resumed partial services last evening.

“There is absolutely no electricity for the last four days. The inverters are not working and there is no easy availability of diesel to run generator sets,” Pramod Jena, a local resident, said.
Even water from municipal corporation pipelines cannot be pumped and stored overhead as there is no electricity, he said. District Collector Krishan Kumar told newsmen that work is on “full swing” to repair power lines and operationalise sub-stations.

“There is electricity problem...we are on it and partial restoration of power service is expected in a day or two. This will ease many things,” said Kumar, whose office is running on the power from diesel genset.

Bank branches and ATM booths in the district are also closed as, officials said, the links to the main servers are down.

However, local markets are beginning to show activity with essential items like milk and vegetables being supplied in largely all the areas of this district.