Restoration of power in the cyclone-affected parts of Raigad district is turning out to be a mammoth job for the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Co. Ltd MSEDCL/Mahavitaran considering the COVID-19 situation in the state and the subsequent exodus of migrant workers.

Heavy losses
The MSEDCL has incurred heavy losses due to the damage to their power transmission infrastructure, which is estimated to be over -150 crore. Confirming the same, state energy minister Nitin Raut said, "I visited the affected areas the very next day on June 4 along with the power secretary and senior officials from MSEDCL to evaluate the damages. The situation was really shocking. High tension lines, transformers and electric poles have been uprooted, mostly due to large trees falling on them." "We are facing two challenges at the moment — big agencies are not in a position to assist us due to the pandemic, and secondly, most of the migrant labourers who do the field work have left for their hometowns. However, we immediately took up the restoration work by mobilising smaller agencies," he said.