John Wilbert &Vikramaditya
Port Blair, May 04: The residents of the entire South Andaman region have been facing prolonged power cuts and voltage fluctuations year after year, without any prior schedule or warning, leaving citizens to brace themselves for power cuts during this hot and humid climate.
Indiscriminate power cuts were previously common during the day and evening hours, but the recent occurrences at late night have further affected the daily lives of the residents. Residents in Port Blair City have been facing frequent power cuts at late night also, adding to their inconvenience and causing sleep disruption.
With the increasing hot and humid climate this year, the power crisis has further amplified the suffering for the public, making it even more crucial for the Electricity Department to resolve the issue and restore regular power supply to the residents of Port Blair City.
Everyday Islanders are witnessing multiple power failures in the city, causing great inconvenience to the residents, especially senior citizens and small children, affecting their health.
Residents of Port Blair have alleged that every time there is a power cut, it takes almost half an hour to restore power, causing significant problems for them. Meanwhile, residents of Bambooflat reported that they have been facing power cuts for the past week, despite the assurance from the officials that the problem will be rectified.
A senior official from the Electricity Department has stated that the power cuts in the city have been caused due to technical failure in one of the DG sets of 1MW in Power Plant Phoenix Bay.
The technical team hired by the private plant has already started working to rectify the problem, which is expected to be resolved within the next few days. The deficiency of power in South Andaman is more than 5-7 MW during evening hours, and the sudden increase in load due to hot weather conditions has resulted in an increase in power demand in the city.
“The department is working on the documentation for the installation of a new 10MW DG Set in Bambooflat and is making all possible efforts to commission it as soon as possible to manage the power shortage. The department is taking all necessary steps to ensure that the power supply is restored to the residents of Port Blair City at the earliest,” he added.
