Berhampur: Tribal communities residing in difficult hilly terrain in Odisha’s Malkangiri now have access to uninterrupted electricity.
This followed a series of network strengthening initiatives executed over the last few months by TP Southern Odisha Distribution Limited (TPSODL). “Malkangiri has historically posed operational challenges due to its geographical location and dispersed population. In order to address these, TPSODL has implemented systematic upgrades across substations, feeders, and distribution lines,” the power distribution franchisee said in a release.
At K Gumma substation, redundancy has been created to address the risk associated with single-transformer dependency, which has significantly reduce the possibility of widespread outages. Similarly in Balimela and Maithili, transformer capacities have been upgraded to 5 MVA for load management amid increasing demand of consumers.
Supply reliability at the 33 kV level has also been improved through feeder strengthening and connectivity enhancements. “This includes linking Khairaput school to a dedicated line and reinforcing distribution in areas surrounding the Chitrakonda reservoir, which are particularly vulnerable to seasonal stresses. Further, TPSODL has extended and reinforced 11 kV lines to reach deeper into habitations such as K.Gumma, Chitrakonda, Pandripani, Bajrangi Colony, and Bandiguda. These extensions are designed to improve last-mile delivery and reduce the time taken to restore supply during breakdowns or natural disturbances.”
As a result, schools and hostels, anganwadis and health sub-centres are able to function without any disruption. Agricultural pumps and small businesses in remote areas are also benefitting from greater stability of supply.
Speaking on the initiative, Chief Executive Officer of TPSODL Amit Kumar Garg said, “Through systematic upgrades, we are building a resilient network that supports education, healthcare, livelihoods, and community development. Reliable power supply in such areas is not just about electricity—it is about empowering people and enabling progress.”
These improvements are expected to make a substantial difference in their daily lives of tribal communities like Koya, Bhumia, Paraja, Bonda, and Didayi. “Access to dependable electricity in these clusters is not only a service utility but also a critical enabler of education, healthcare, social welfare schemes, and income generation activities,” it added.
