Staff Correspondent
Port Blair, June 18: Havelock Tourism Industry has been badly hit by daily power cuts, which have left tourists unhappy and Hotel owners with additional burden of running their own DG sets for several extra hours on daily basis. It is useless to mention about sufferings of Havelock residents as for Administration general public of remote Islands perhaps do not even exists.
According to residents of Havelock, daily they experience atleast eight to nine power cuts of nearly two hour long duration. The power cuts begins from early morning to night upto 11 PM.
During his recent visit the Lt. Governor had directed senior officials of Electricity Department to make sure that the power crisis of Havelock Island is solved at the earliest but things have become worst after his visit.
If asked the most convenient reply from Power House is that the main DG set has developed technical snags hence the power will continue for some more time.
Tourists allege that although some hotels have backup generators most of the other small hotels do not provide back-up power and hence they suffer heavy inconvenience.
“Havelock is already reeling under mosquito menace and during power cuts it becomes impossible to stay inside the rooms or even outside,” said an angry tourist.
Hotel owners allege that due to power cuts guest check out early and leave Havelock early and hence they suffer heavy loss.
When cross checked sources told Andaman Sheekha that a new DG set has already been purchased for Havelock but due to lack of cargo vessels the DG set could not be shipped to Havelock yet.
According to reports, the three DG sets at Havelock were purchased way back in the year 1962 and lacking maintenance, the sets develop frequent snags. Moreover, the vast territory of Havelock doesn’t have any senior Engineer and routine works are managed by just two Junior Engineers.
Locals are too much troubled by frequent power-cuts and almost all commercial and agricultural activities are being affected. “For a destination like Havelock, the administration needs to ensure round the clock power supply for promotion of tourism,” assert some residents.
