THEBUSINESSBYTES BUREAU
BHUBANESWAR, MAY 23, 2026
Responding to the unprecedented heatwave sweeping across Odisha, with
temperatures soaring up to 45°C in several parts of the state and electricity
demand reaching historic highs this summer, Tata Power-led Odisha discoms have
activated an extensive emergency response system, backed by round-the-clock network
monitoring and enhanced customer support mechanisms, to ensure uninterrupted
power supply and rapid restoration services across both urban and rural
regions.
The discoms are currently handling a record peak demand of 6,739 MW
across Odisha — nearly 300 MW higher than last year’s peak demand of 6,447 MW.
In Bhubaneswar alone, peak demand has surged by 17 per cent, rising sharply
from 641 MW during the previous financial year to 750 MW this summer,
underlining the steep increase in electricity consumption triggered by extreme
weather conditions and intensive cooling requirements.
To manage the mounting demand and maintain uninterrupted service, more
than 26,000 trained field personnel, including maintenance crews, breakdown
response teams, supervisors and safety officers, have been deployed across
Odisha for continuous field operations and rapid fault restoration during the
ongoing summer season.
As part of the preparedness strategy, the discoms have strategically
stationed critical restoration materials and emergency equipment across
operational zones. These include 67 power transformers, nearly 5,000
distribution transformers, over 60,000 poles, and around 9,000 kilometres of
conductors and cables to facilitate swift restoration during outages and
weather-related disruptions.
Emergency response infrastructure such as tower wagons, man-lifters,
hydraulic equipment, dewatering pumps, mobile distribution substations and
tree-pruning machinery has also been kept on standby for immediate deployment
in vulnerable and affected areas.
A centralized Power Distribution Technology Centre (PDTC), supported by
circle- and division-level control rooms, is continuously monitoring the
distribution network to enable faster response to outages and disruptions
caused by Nor’wester thunderstorms, lightning strikes and strong winds that
frequently accompany the summer season in Odisha.
Strengthening its consumer support mechanism, the discoms have also
operationalized a 24×7 integrated customer care centre with 200 seats to handle
consumer grievances efficiently during the peak demand period. Consumers can
register complaints through multiple channels, including IVRS, mobile
applications, websites, WhatsApp and missed-call services. Real-time outage
information and estimated restoration timelines are also being communicated
through SMS alerts, WhatsApp updates and social media platforms to keep
consumers informed.
The discoms are working in close coordination with District
Administrations, Fire Services, ODRAF and various civic agencies to ensure rapid
clearance of fallen trees and other obstructions affecting power infrastructure
during storms and extreme weather events.
These large-scale preparedness measures are backed by extensive
preventive maintenance and network strengthening initiatives undertaken ahead
of the summer season to improve system reliability, enhance resilience and
minimize supply disruptions during periods of exceptionally high demand.
Discom personnel are working relentlessly round the clock to ensure
uninterrupted power supply to more than 4.5 crore people across Odisha amid the
unprecedented heatwave and escalating electricity consumption. Operations and
fault response teams continue to remain on constant field duty, braving extreme
temperatures and challenging weather conditions to restore power swiftly and
maintain network reliability at the grassroots level.
However, the prolonged exposure to severe heat conditions has also posed
significant health challenges for frontline workers, with several linemen and
field personnel facing dehydration and heat stress while carrying out
restoration and maintenance activities in the field. To safeguard the health
and well-being of these frontline teams, the discoms have distributed ORS
packets and implemented preventive measures to protect workers from dehydration
and sunstroke during field operations.
The discoms have appealed to consumers to cooperate with field teams and bear with them while managing critical situations arising out of extreme weather conditions and unprecedented power demand across the state.
Driven by the credo, “For You, With You, Always,” teams across Odisha continue to serve consumers with unwavering commitment, resilience and dedication during one of the most challenging summer seasons in recent years.
