Incessant rains, lightning cause power outage
TURA: Politicians and citizens alike in south Garo Hills are raising a voice against the Meghalaya Power distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL), which is a part of MeECL, following the lack of electricity in the entire southern region for over 27 hours this week.
Incessant rains accompanied by lightning caused a power outage in South Garo Hills on Monday afternoon and electricity was restored only on Tuesday night, after twenty-seven long hours.
“Power was disrupted after lighting strike at Rongdong, near Rongsa Awe, causing a conductor to snap at around 4 PM of Monday,” informed MePDCL officials.
However, the emergency teams in charge of restoration works were unable to proceed from Baghmara to the site following a road blockade at Siju due to landslides caused by the incessant rains.
The teams had to proceed from Williamnagar via Nangalbibra to the site only on Tuesday and the fault was located late in the evening.
“Power was restored at 7 PM,” informed MePDCL officials from Baghmara.
However, the long duration without electricity has not gone down well with the citizens and political leaders who are questioning the delay in repairing of the faults. They complain that the state power corporation has been slack in their work and accuse it of neglecting the southern region.
The Shillong Times has come to know that the Baghmara distribution sub-division based in the district headquarters takes care of the entire Chokpot, Rongara and Baghmara block region with a very limited number of manpower. There are only two vehicles deployed by the corporation to oversee maintenance works.
With over two hundred villages electrified and poor road conditions, the maintenance staff has their work cut out.
Chokpot block, which is nearer to Tura than Baghmara is also looked after by the maintenance teams from the south Garo Hills headquarters.
Technical experts strongly support the creation of a sub-division for Chokpot to oversee maintenance so that teams from Baghmara can be deployed for emergency works elsewhere.
Chokpot region developed a fault on Monday evening leading to a low voltage but the problem could not be rectified early since the teams had to proceed to Siju Rongara route to find the fault at Rongsa Awe which had crippled Baghmara and the remaining portion of the district.