Water supply restored, Haldia units normalise operations in cyclone-hit Bengal

Kolkata, May 24

Four days after cyclone ‘Amphan’ ravaged West Bengal, operations of several industrial units in Haldia normalised on Sunday as water supply to many facilities was restored, an official said.

Besides power, the supply of water, a key input for running units, was disrupted due to the cyclone, he said.

Some large plants having captive power facilities managed to run their units at a lower capacity with a scarcity of water, the official said.

“Electricity for supplying water to industrial units has been restored. Despite massive damage to power structures and poles, we have completed maximum restoration job,” Haldia Development Authority CEO Hari Shankar said.

He said water was supplied from a treatment plant at Geonkhali that produces 27 million gallons daily, and 85 per cent of which is consumed by the industries in Haldia.

Located about 150 km from here, Haldia, the port town in East Midnapore district, witnessed the destruction of the cyclonic storm as electric poles and communication lines had been blown away by gusting winds.

The Indian Oil Corporation, which was running its refinery in the town at 40-50 per cent capacity in the wake of the COVID-19 outbreak, had to scale down its operation further due to water shortage, sources said.

Large plants of many other companies in Haldia also trimmed output due to lack of water, they said.

IVL Dhunseri Petrochem chairman C K Dhanuka said that the company’s PET resin plant in Haldia was operational with availability of captive power and water from its reservoirs but the production was less. PTI