Odisha's Rs 9,755 Crore Plan to Disaster-Proof Power Grid Faces Centre's Resistance

The Odisha government has sought the intervention of Union Home Minister Amit Shah to secure funding for a Rs 9,755 crore project aimed at making the state's power transmission and distribution network disaster-resilient. This comes after the Centre expressed reservations about approving the proposal from the National Disaster Mitigation Fund.

Odisha, with its 550 km coastline along the Bay of Bengal, is frequently hit by severe cyclones. Over the past two decades, the state has faced more than seven severe to extremely severe cyclonic storms, causing extensive damage to critical infrastructure, especially power systems. Cumulative damage to the power network from cyclones between 1999 and 2019 is estimated at nearly Rs 10,000 crore.

The proposed interventions include underground cabling of critical corridors, cyclone-resilient transmission and distribution systems, resilient substations, network redundancy, protection of lifeline facilities, and adoption of advanced technologies to ensure continuity of services during and after disasters. The Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure (CDRI) has identified that over 30% of substations lie within 20 km of the coastline, and 75% of distribution lines were commissioned three decades ago, making them highly vulnerable.

In a letter to Amit Shah on June 16, Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi highlighted that while the state has made significant progress in reducing disaster mortality through preparedness and early warning systems, disruption of critical infrastructure continues to impose substantial economic and social costs. He termed the initiative a nationally significant disaster risk reduction intervention that would protect vulnerable communities and essential services.

The state's proposal was formally placed before the National Disaster Management Authority on April 27. However, Union Minister of State for Home Affairs Nityananda Rai responded that the primary responsibility of disaster management rests with state governments, and the Centre only supplements efforts. He noted that large-scale investments in power infrastructure are typically made by commercial entities, which are expected to incorporate disaster-resilient designs.

Odisha's Deputy Chief Minister K.V. Singh Deo, who holds the energy portfolio, had also written to Shah seeking central funds. Officials argue that building disaster-proof infrastructure will substantially reduce recovery time for essential services like hospitals, drinking water supply, telecommunications, and emergency operations during major disasters.