Cyclone Yaas: Power supply affected in 14 Bengal districts

Kolkata, May 26: People of 14 of the 23 districts of West Bengal faced electricity outage due to Cyclone Yaas and many sub-stations are under water following heavy rain induced by the storm on Wednesday, Power Minister Aroop Biswas said.

He said he sought a report from the power utilities of the state for loss assessment within 72 hours. "There is waist-level water in many locations. A number of sub-stations are now under water. Loss assessment will be available after ground surveys," Biswas said.

The state-owned West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) supplies power to most of the districts. The minister said that no hospitals faced power crisis.

Meanwhile, private power utility CESC Limited said that it had suspended electricity supply in some pockets of Kolkata and neighbouring areas following waterlogging as a safety measure. The areas included Kalighat, Chetla, Budge Budge, Akra, Maheshtala, Sankrail and Metiabruz, a CESC official said.

"At night, further outages may happen in some high tide affected locations. Our 2500-member team will stay active," the official said. There was no damage to power generation units and transmission assets of the company, he said. CESC supplies power to Kolkata and adjoining areas including Howrah.