Sundargarh villagers meet Wesco SE

As many as 18 villages of Sundargarh district are in dark for the last two years due to power cuts from 6 pm to 6 am every day as a preventive measure to save the lives of elephants.

A delegation of these affected villages met the Rourkela Wesco Superintendent Engineer on Thursday and demanded power supply be resumed to their areas, highlighting their difficulties.

Elephant movement in Kuanrmunda, Nuagaon and Bisra block area has gone up significantly in the last three years. Some of the areas under these three blocks have become frequent movement areas of the elephants due to which about 12 persons have died.

Besides, life of elephants is also under threat during their movement in these areas, particularly with the feeders of 11 KV line, hanging on lower heights. As a preventive measure, on the instruction of forest officials of Rourkela division, the Wesco officials are disconnecting power supply to the villages, mainly coming under Patrapalli 11KV feeder. Sources said, this practice has been going on for last two years as other preventive measures have not been taken. According to sources, villages like Relaposh, Bagdega, Ghadabandha, Limda, Garada, Baspur, Phuljhar, Gadiatolli, Mandapa, Gudguda, Jambarna, Teterkela, Koelkera, Patrapalli and Bardega have been facing the power cut on the plea of preventive measures for saving lives of elephants. "Considering the fact that the feeders between two poles of the 11 KV lines, we have started erecting an extra pole so that the feeder do not hang lower down and become vulnerable for elephants," said Wesco, Rourkela SE AN Meher.“In a joint coordination meeting between forest and Wesco officials, it has been decided that besides increasing the heights of feeder, we will have to put spikes in the polls, which will also restrain elephants from becoming victim of electrocution," Meher added.

Rourkela DFO SC Swain said, "Since, alternative arrangements are not made, we have no other option than to have power cuts."