Norwester storms wreck power infrastructure in Tripura; restoration works going on with highest priority, Nath

After a sudden spell of intense Norwester storms in the last part of April brought normal life to a standstill across several districts of Tripura, severely disrupting the state’s power supply network. Triggered by violent winds and heavy rainfall had properly set in, the extreme weather event left large swathes of the state in darkness for days.

Yet, in what comes as a major relief, the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) managed to restore power in most affected areas within a remarkably short span, reaffirming its commitment to uninterrupted service for consumers. However, officials acknowledge that rebuilding the heavily damaged infrastructure will be a demanding task in the coming days.

While, giving details of the damages of power infrastructures due to sever Norwester storm across Tripura during Tuesday and Wednesday, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath speaking with media persons on Wednesday afternoon said that the storms, which lashed the state between April 27 to April 29, caused widespread damage across all eight districts. Uprooted roadside trees snapped power lines, while electric poles collapsed one after another under the force of the winds. From remote rural belts to urban centers, vast regions plunged into darkness.

The impact was particularly severe in a few districts, where high-voltage transmission lines were seen lying broken on the ground. In several locations, damaged transformers led to prolonged outages, directly affecting daily life and essential services.

Amid this crisis, TSECL faced a dual challenge, assessing massive infrastructure losses while simultaneously restoring electricity supply, said Nath and added that the utility has suffered heavy financial losses due to the seasonal disaster. Preliminary assessments indicate that every district experienced some degree of infrastructure damage.

He said that kilometers of transmission lines were completely damaged across the state. In addition, over hundreds of electric poles were destroyed, and dozens of transformers were rendered non-functional. Even substations were not spared by the storm’s intensity.

The massive power restoration works by all section of TSECL employees including contractual and outsource employees going on across the state and till Wednesday evening, about 80 percent of power restoration works has been completed across Agartala and its vicinity, said Nath and added that more than 50 percent of restoration works has been completed in major parts of subdivisional areas of the state.

He appealed to the people of the state to cooperate with TSECL staff for restoration works.

Despite the scale of destruction, what stands out is the relentless response of TSECL personnel. Working in hazardous conditions and adverse weather, teams were deployed round the clock in what Nath described as a war-footing operation. Crews repaired snapped lines, replaced damaged poles, and restored faulty transformers with urgency and precision.

As a result, electricity supply was restored in most affected areas, significantly reducing prolonged hardship for residents. This rapid restoration effort highlights the corporation’s strong service commitment toward power consumers across the state, said Nath.