By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Sep 10: While city dwellers may enjoy candlelit dinners for leisure, people of Amlarem constituency are condemned to have them every night because of constant outages, quipped Amlarem legislator Lahkmen Rymbui in the assembly on Wednesday.
Rymbui told the Assembly that the situation was particularly absurd given that Amlarem hosts two power projects, Lakroh and Leshka, yet still suffers persistent shortages. He demanded immediate intervention to curb the power cuts and said he hoped current measures would finally bring relief.
Responding, Power Minister Abu Taher Mondal admitted the problem but attributed it largely to weather conditions. He said heavy rainfall, thunderstorms and high winds routinely bring down conductors and topple trees onto lines that pass through plantation belts filled with betel nut, banana, bamboo and other vegetation.
Mondal added that planned shutdowns under RDSS and LR programmes were also contributing to the disruptions. He informed the House that the Syndai sub-station upgrade would soon be sanctioned to improve supply in the area, while assuring that Rajabala constituency’s long-standing shortage would be resolved this year once its sub-station is commissioned.
The minister noted that only 16 linemen or jugali are available in the Amlarem sub-division, but said efforts were being made to restore power more efficiently and strengthen the infrastructure.