Storm hits power supply in Bhagalpur; grids under repair, water tankers deployed

Bhagalpur: Amid electricity and drinking water crisis following the cyclonic storm and high-velocity winds on Monday night, Bihar State Power Holding Company Limited (BSPHCL) managing director Rahul Kumar reached Bhagalpur on Wednesday on a distress call from DM Nawal Kishor Choudhary.The MD, accompanied by senior BSPHCL officials, reviewed the disruption in power supply and ongoing restoration work. He expressed concern over the extent of damage to power infrastructure and directed officials to expedite the process. “Power supply should be restored within the next four hours wherever possible,” he said.Electricity supply was disrupted across most parts of the district after strong winds of 110–140 kmph on Monday night, followed by another spell of high-speed winds of around 100 kmph on Tuesday night. The storm uprooted trees, snapped transmission lines and damaged several electric poles, leading to a near-total blackout across the district. Supply was restored intermittently in a few areas on Tuesday evening.The power outage also triggered a severe drinking water crisis in several localities.The district administration said restoration work was progressing on a war footing. The DM expressed hope that major power grids and supply lines would be restored by Wednesday. To address the water shortage, 20 water tankers have been deployed to supply potable water in affected areas.krrajes2001@gmail.com