Calcutta, Jan. 2: Sagar Mela will for the first time get power supply from the mainland this year.

Overhead cables were drawn from Lot No. 8 in South 24-Parganas to Sagar Island’s Kachuberia, 3km across the Muriganga river.

“We installed five transmission towers between the two river banks to carry the power. It is a unique piece of engineering to carry transmission cables across a tidal river,” said power secretary Moloy De.

The project was completed in October at a cost of Rs 68 crore by the West Bengal State Electricity Transmission Company Limited.

An official said the demand for power during the four-day Sagar Mela beginning on January 12 would be about 1MW.

For the past three decades, the fair used to draw power from diesel generators operated by the public health engineering department. These generators also cater to around 1,000 consumers in the island’s villages.

The official said a sub-station would be set up in Rudranagar village in two years to supply power to 30,000 consumers in the island.