SHILLONG: The revised schedule of load shedding in Shillong announced by Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited on Wednesday would put essential operations in jeopardy, besides being discriminatory.
The busy Police Bazar area would have to put up with power cuts for two hours in the morning, from 9 am to 11 am, besides three hours from midnight. The morning load shedding would affect functioning of banks, government offices like the main secretariat and the high court for at least one hour in the morning peak time.
Train travellers making advance reservations would be particularly affected as the only railway booking counter at the State bus terminus at Police Bazar would not operate from 9 am to 11 am. Passengers buying ‘tatkal’ tickets would be particularly affected as the booking for ‘tatkal’ opens at 10 am simultaneously all over the country and by 11 am the ‘tatkal’ quotas, for most trains, are likely to be exhausted. Travellers from Shillong would effectively be deprived of the ‘tatkal’ facility, unless the railway authorities arrange for alternative power supply at the counters during these hours.
While the city has been kept free from power cuts in the evening, there are some residential areas which would be subjected to load shedding at night and others, like Happy Valley, Laitkor, Mawphlang and Pynursla which would enjoy load shedding free nights but would face prolonged power cuts in the day time.
On the other hand, areas like Mawlai, Jaiaw, parts of Laban, Bishnupur, Rilbong, Iewduh, Malki and Mylliem would be experiencing power cuts in two phases in the morning, from 8 am to 9 am and from noon to 2 pm and again from 2 am to 4 am. Load shedding at night would particularly interfere with printing of newspapers.
