PANAJI: The erratic power supply in sweltering May has come as a big blow to small and medium hoteliers who are already struggling to cope with the drop tourist footfalls.
F Noronha, who runs a small hotel in Naikawaddo in Calangute, told TOI he has been left with no option but to offer heavy discounts on his AC rooms and even sell them at non-AC rates to tourists who settle for nothing less than air-conditioned rooms this month.
“Guests have been complaining that they are unable to sleep at night so I have to offer them discounts. I cannot fill up all my rooms and cannot run my business in full swing. I have been turning down large groups of tourists because they would consume too much power and water, both of which are in very short supply. I have only been taking in single tourists and couples this time,” Noronha told TOI, adding that he cannot afford a generator for his small hotel.
A guesthouse owner from Calangute after meticulous calculations said power supply was being cut off after a gap of 5-8 minutes for 15 minutes at a stretch for 48 hours over the past few days.
“I lost a few guests after I warned them about the power situation here. There are others who shifted midway to other hotels. I understand them and would do the same if I was in their place. What’s sad is that we cannot keep our guests happy and satisfied,” he told TOI.
“The ACs don’t have time to cool. By the time the compressor starts, the power fails again,” he said.
“This has been one of the worst tourism seasons for us. The power issue has only added to this problem and come as a huge blow to us,” he said, adding that the problem of low voltage has been on since February.
Chef Peter Fernandes, who recently began working at a resort in Calangute, says the generator has to be switched on and disconnected not less than 10 times each day. He says he also has to be careful about seafood and ice-creams. “Exhaust fans stop working during a power cut and it becomes difficult for us to work in such high temperatures,” he said.
A hotelier in Baga said he has given strict instructions to his security guard this month to remain awake at night and switch on the generator no soon the power supply is cut. “Guests get very angry and irritated and I’m afraid they will leave and go to another hotel in the middle of the night,” he told TOI, adding that the frequent power cuts are nothing but a nuisance. The department hasn’t sorted the situation despite complaints and agitations he said.
Noronha says the problem lies in the department giving out new connections beyond its capacity and consumers using domestic connections for commercial purposes. The department must be more proactive in getting people to increase their load. “They must have a mechanism to check the load of each consumer. Instead of just issuing bills they should keep a check on load and make consumers apply for increase in load. This will bring in revenue to the department,” he said.
F Noronha, who runs a small hotel in Naikawaddo in Calangute, told TOI he has been left with no option but to offer heavy discounts on his AC rooms and even sell them at non-AC rates to tourists who settle for nothing less than air-conditioned rooms this month.
“Guests have been complaining that they are unable to sleep at night so I have to offer them discounts. I cannot fill up all my rooms and cannot run my business in full swing. I have been turning down large groups of tourists because they would consume too much power and water, both of which are in very short supply. I have only been taking in single tourists and couples this time,” Noronha told TOI, adding that he cannot afford a generator for his small hotel.
A guesthouse owner from Calangute after meticulous calculations said power supply was being cut off after a gap of 5-8 minutes for 15 minutes at a stretch for 48 hours over the past few days.
“I lost a few guests after I warned them about the power situation here. There are others who shifted midway to other hotels. I understand them and would do the same if I was in their place. What’s sad is that we cannot keep our guests happy and satisfied,” he told TOI.
“The ACs don’t have time to cool. By the time the compressor starts, the power fails again,” he said.
“This has been one of the worst tourism seasons for us. The power issue has only added to this problem and come as a huge blow to us,” he said, adding that the problem of low voltage has been on since February.
Chef Peter Fernandes, who recently began working at a resort in Calangute, says the generator has to be switched on and disconnected not less than 10 times each day. He says he also has to be careful about seafood and ice-creams. “Exhaust fans stop working during a power cut and it becomes difficult for us to work in such high temperatures,” he said.
A hotelier in Baga said he has given strict instructions to his security guard this month to remain awake at night and switch on the generator no soon the power supply is cut. “Guests get very angry and irritated and I’m afraid they will leave and go to another hotel in the middle of the night,” he told TOI, adding that the frequent power cuts are nothing but a nuisance. The department hasn’t sorted the situation despite complaints and agitations he said.
Noronha says the problem lies in the department giving out new connections beyond its capacity and consumers using domestic connections for commercial purposes. The department must be more proactive in getting people to increase their load. “They must have a mechanism to check the load of each consumer. Instead of just issuing bills they should keep a check on load and make consumers apply for increase in load. This will bring in revenue to the department,” he said.
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