The state power department has set up a control room and announced multiple helplines apprehending power disruptions because of Cyclone Dana.

The state-run WBSEDCL and the private utility CESC have rolled out helplines as part of their preparations for the storm.

State power minister Aroop Biswas held a meeting with officials of the WBSEDCL and CESC at Bidyut Unnayan Bhavan to take stock of the preparedness. He also opened a 24X7 control room from where helplines for customers of the state-run utility will operate from Thursday.

CESC, Bengal’s lone private power supply utility that caters to Calcutta and some of its adjoining areas, will have a separate control room.

A senior official of the state power department said the minister has asked WBSEDCL and CESC to ensure that storm-induced outages, if any, do not last long.

“We have been asked to keep generators and adequate personnel ready. Our teams must reach affected areas at the earliest,” the official said.

Last summer, Calcutta witnessed several instances of neighbourhoods plunging into darkness after rain and thunderstorms. CESC teams headed for repairs in a particular neighbourhood were stopped by residents of other affected areas and forced to attend to their problems first.

“We will not let that happen this time,” a CESC official said on Wednesday.

“We will have almost four times our regular strength on the roads and in offices from Thursday afternoon. We have made all preparations according to the standard operating procedure,” the official said.

He said 6,000 men would be working to attend to complaints after the storm passes.

Officials of the WBSEDCL and CESC will be present at the unified command centre at Lalbazar from Thursday afternoon to coordinate with police and representatives of the Kolkata Municipal Corporation and other agencies.