Power cuts misery for Jharsuguda

JAGATSINGHPUR: Unscheduled power cuts and coal fires in five opencast mines of Mahanadi Coalfields Limited (MCL) are adding to the summer miseries of residents of Brajrajnagar, Belpahar and Bandhbahal towns besides five blocks of the district. Frequent power cuts have worsened the situation. “Despite paying electricity bills regularly, we are left to suffer in this hot summer,” said Tapaswi Lal Tiwari, a senior citizen of Puranabast in Jharsugada.

As per reports, it has been more than 25 hours since power supply was disconnected in Intabhatta Railway colony area on Monday evening. The electricity department has effected a total power shutdown for restoration work after fire broke out in a 63 KV transformer.Similarly, villages of Lakhanpur block are being provided with only four to five hours of power supply in a day, sources said.

Parvati Agarwal, a social activist, said patients in hospitals are the worst affected victims of frequent power cuts. Contacted, Wesco Executive Engineer D Gardia said power supply is disconnected during thunderstorms.This apart, electricity supply is also stopped during repair work on power lines. He claimed that there were no power cuts and they have adequate power to meet the requirement.