Amit Halder & Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, Oct 20: The ongoing power crisis has pushed the residents of Chouldari to their limits. Over the past few months, frequent and extended power cuts have caused widespread frustration and disruption to daily life. However, things took a dramatic turn yesterday evening when the village experienced yet another power outage, this time lasting from the early morning hours.
By mid-day, the residents, including local Panchayat members, could no longer contain their frustration. By 10 PM they staged a dharna (sit-in protest) near Port Mout, Krishna Mandir area, blocking the ATR Road, which is a major artery connecting the village.
The protest attracted the attention of local law enforcement, and several officers were dispatched to the scene. The villagers were adamant that their demands for stable electricity be addressed.
Speaking to several frustrated villagers during the protest, it became clear that this wasn’t an isolated incident. Power cuts have become the norm in Chouldari, affecting not just daily household activities but also businesses and essential services.
One of the local Panchayat members expressed his frustration, saying, “Every time there’s a power cut, people call us, and it’s impossible to get any answers from the authorities. We are forced to bear the brunt of the public’s anger.”
The power cuts have also affected students, as this is exam season, and the lack of electricity severely hampers their ability to study. One of the local leaders pointed out, “It’s not just about the inconvenience; it’s about the future of our children who cannot even prepare for their exams because of these constant outages.”
As per sources, yesterday’s protest was primarily a result of a scheduled tree-cutting operation that led to a prolonged power cut. Though the authorities had informed the villagers about the maintenance work, the restoration was delayed, causing tensions to escalate.
As per report the protest which started at around 10.00 PM yesterday ended at around 3.00 AM this morning.
One local Panchayat member explained, “The power was finally restored in the evening, but it shouldn’t have taken a protest for this to happen. This issue has been going on for a long time, and the authorities need to address it more seriously.”
Chouldari’s ongoing electricity crisis is a symptom of a larger problem in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. Despite being a small Union Territory, the region has some of the highest electricity tariffs in the country, yet the quality of service remains poor. Residents in several other parts of the islands face similar issues, and there seems to be no concrete solution in sight.
The local residents, who have grown increasingly frustrated, feel that the administration’s promises to resolve these issues have fallen on deaf ears. “If things continue this way, we might have to resort to even larger protests,” warned one of the protesters.
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