Koraput: A fire broke out at Machhkund Hydro Power House at Ankadeli under Lamtaput block of Odisha’s Koraput district on Saturday afternoon, disrupting operations at the 120 MW facility.
All personnel were safely evacuated, and no casualties were reported, though some workers suffered mild suffocation from smoke.
According to official sources, the blaze originated around noon when a current transformer (CT) connected to a 2.5 MVA, 11/0.4 kV transformer, used for supplying power to the local area—, burst outside and adjacent to the powerhouse. Connected cables then caught fire, with flames spreading through the cable gallery into the main powerhouse and damaging electrical and allied equipment.
Thick plumes of dense smoke billowed from deep inside the generation unit, triggering panic among the plant employees and residents of nearby areas.
At the time of the incident, all six generating units of the station were operational. Operators promptly shut down the machines, allowing safe evacuation of all staff inside. Two employees reportedly complained of mild suffocation due to heavy smoke inside the station and were shifted to the Ankadeli Community Health Centre for treatment. Their condition is stated to be stable.
Meanwhile, fire services from Lamtaput and Nandapur, assisted by powerhouse personnel, brought the blaze under control by around 4 pm after a nearly five-hour operation.
The Machhkund Hydro Power House, located near the iconic Duduma Waterfalls on the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh border, has an installed capacity of 120 MW across six units. Under agreements dating back to 1945 (with revisions in 1978 and 2020), power sharing and operation & maintenance costs are divided equally on a 50:50 basis between the two states. However, management, operation, and administrative control rest with the Andhra Pradesh government and AP Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO).
A detailed assessment of the extent of damage will be carried out by APGENCO, following which necessary repair and replacement works will be undertaken. Restoration work and resumption of power generation may take more than six months, the sources added.
