Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, Aug 05: Residents of Port Blair city and nearby areas are highly troubled by erratic load-shedding schedule. Though the Electricity Department is releasing weekly load shedding schedule in all local newspaper but the schedule is hardly followed.
Resident of Austinabad, Carbyn’s Cove, Brichgunj, Brookshabad & part of Chakkargoan, Garacharama complete, Bhatu Basti, Pathergudda, part of Prothrapur, New Pahargaon, Satellite Colony, part of Sippighat etc area complain that the load shedding schedule in never followed for their areas. “Last week as per schedule, Shristy Nagar, Marine Hill, Dugnabad, Cellular Jail, Atlanta Point, Mohanpura, Babu Lane, Aberdeen Bazaar complete, Aberdeen Thana, part of Gurudwara Lane, Part of Prathrapur, Japan Nallah, Austinabad, Carbyn’s Cove, Brichgunj, Brookshabad, part of Chakkargoan, Garacharama complete, Bhatu Basti, Pathergudda, New Pahargaon, Satellite Colony, part of Sippighat, Chouldari Lal Pahar, Tsunami Shelter and Mithakhari etc area were supposed to suffer power cuts from 1845 Hrs. to 2015 Hrs. But we witnessed power cuts in seven different timing in last seven days. It seems that the Electricity Department is playing with our emotions,” a resident of Austinabad told Andaman Sheekha today.
Situation is not different in other areas too. Every Islander is troubled by these erratic power cuts.
“In power crisis, if the power cut schedules are strictly followed things will be little easy for me but everyday we have to suffer as power goes off at unscheduled time,” he added.
Meanwhile, officials in Electricity Department remain helpless in this regard. Most of them refuse to comment on the record and put all blames on officials of other sections. “It is the responsibility of staffs posted in Chatham Power house to follow the schedule and cut power according to it,” said a senior officer of Electricity Department who does not want his name to be quoted. It seems that due to total lack of coordination general public are suffering the burnt of erratic power cuts.
Electricity Department perhaps need an officer, who can deal with this negligence with iron hand. Until and unless some strict action is taken situation will probably remain same for years and years.
