MAWKYRWAT: As many as seven villages in South West Khasi Hills have been living without electricity for months due to the alleged failure of the MeECL to replace or repair the damaged transformers.
The villages include Nongmluh, Mawphansaw, Pyndensynnia, Mawthunglang, Ryngkhiat and Phlangmawprah in Phlangdiloin area under Ranikor Civil Sub-Division and Kensimphlang village under Mawkyrwat C&RD Block.
Organising secretary of the Khasi Students’ Union (KSU) South West Khasi Hills District, Dusterwell K Lyngdoh, informed that among the seven villages, Mawphansaw and Nongmluh villages have been living without electricity for almost a year.
Lyngdoh said that albeit the concerned authorities have been trying to address the problems by replacing the transformers with old ones, but they become damaged shortly.
Singing ordeals of using old transformers again, Lyngdoh said that use of such units in Kensimphlang village has also rendered the village without electricity for the past few months as it was damaged in a period of some days.
He added that Phlangmawprah, Mawthunglang, Ryngkhiat and Pyndensynnia villages have been without electricity for over a month.
In this regard, a delegation of the Union, on Tuesday, met the Chief Engineer (Distribution) of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Ltd at Lumjingshai, Shillong, demanding the a solution to the problems in the seven villages at the earliest.
Lyngdoh said that the Union had urged upon the Chief Engineer to replace the damaged transformers with new ones to tide over the problems. It also demanded that the MePDCL should provide electricity to Mawlar near Kensimphlang village which has 13 households and no connection till date.
With the people from Myriem, Rangblang, Umdohlun and Phlangdiloin area facing problems due to frequent disruption of power supply, the KSU demanded of the Chief Engineer to set up a power station (control room) at Mawsaw or Umdohlun village.
Lyngdoh also said that the Union has also moved for speeding up of the implementation of the Pradhan Mantri Sahaj Bijli Har Ghar Yojana, wherein free electricity connections would be provided to the households under the Socio Economic and Caste Census 2011 in South West Khasi Hills.
The KSU leader said that the Chief Engineer assured that he will tackle the issues raised by the Union.