TURA, July 5: A four-hour load-shedding in Garo Hills every day is what was announced by the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) — the timing now just remains on paper.
The agonies brought about the recently announced load-shedding timings for Garo Hills have now been further exacerbated with people being coerced into going without electricity for nearly 6-8 hours on an everyday basis.
Albeit load-shedding timings in Garo Hills have been set for 5 am-7 am and from 12 pm-2 pm daily, people from many places have started to complain about electricity being cut off for at least another 2-4 hours daily.
“This is getting ridiculous. They claim on a daily basis that the lines have tripped and leave us without electricity for 2-4 more hours. How can the line be faulty on a daily basis and if it is what is the department doing to fix the rot? It is becoming unbearable,” said one JD Sangma, a resident of Tura.
On Tuesday, the load-shedding in Tura began prior to 12 pm, the scheduled timing, and continued past 2 pm, much to the dismay of locals.
Reports of similar cases also surfaced from other parts of the Garo Hills.
In Williamnagar, locals claimed that there were at least 4-6 unscheduled power cuts, with each lasting anywhere between 15 minutes to an hour.
With summer at its peak, complaints about the unbearable situation have started to pour in. “After the rains that lashed us, we are now experiencing a heat wave. At this time, power cuts are like a slap on our faces. To be facing uncertain power cuts makes things even worse. The department and the state government need to get its act together and alleviate this power problem quickly,” added LD Shira, a resident of Williamnagar.
Upon being contacted on the matter, a highly placed official at the MeECL, on condition of anonymity, attributed the additional shutdowns in Tura to an alleged problem with the power line on Tuesday. He, however, could not comment on Williamnagar or other places
