Frequent, long power cuts deepen winter woes in Mandi
The Newz Radar
MANDI: The city of Mandi has endured harsh cold spells and plummeting temperatures over the past few months and the sufferings of the people have been compounded by erratic power outages plaguing the area.
The residents of Mandi and its surrounding areas express frustration over the unpredictable power supply, enduring up to five to seven hours of blackouts daily. “It’s become routine over the past month,” remarked Jagesh Vaidya, a local resident, highlighting the daily struggle with power shortages.
On February 9, a significant portion of the town lost power at 7.30 am, causing discomfort, particularly for schoolchildren in the chilly winter weather. Power was finally restored after noon, but the prolonged cuts have disrupted students’ exam preparations, with impending examinations scheduled for next week.
Residents of Khaliar, Bhuili, Purani Mandi, Saulikhad, Thaneda Mohalla, Talyar, Jail Road, Sila Kipad, Paddal and Tarna Mohalla voiced their hardships due to unreliable power supply, threatening to withhold payment until the government ensures consistent electricity provision.
Locals lament the lack of satisfactory explanations from electricity department officials regarding the power disruptions. Gopal Sharma recalled the department’s initial “maintenance” power cuts before winter, now questioning their effectiveness as outages persist.
The hotel industry is particularly hard-hit by frequent power failures, disrupting operations and inconveniencing guests. Meanwhile, other industries suffer significant losses due to the recent instability in power supply.
Ankush Sood, a hotelier, stressed the need for thorough investigations into the root causes of these failures, citing concerns over subpar equipment supplied by contractors billing for premium-grade materials.
Neeraj Handa, a social worker and engineer, attributed the frequent outages to increased household electricity demand in recent years, suggesting the installation of separate transformers to alleviate the strain.
Rajesh Kumar Kaundal, XEN of the Electricity Board, attributed recent interruptions to a failure in the 132 KV line at Bijni from the Kangoo substation, affecting power supply to various areas of Mandi. A retired government official expressed dismay over the lack of strong leadership in addressing the ongoing power crisis, leaving accountability to chance.
