Five days on, parts of Rani remain without power after storm

Palasbari, March 22: A powerful storm that struck on the night of March 16 caused widespread damage across several areas in Rani, on the outskirts of Guwahati, leaving a large number of residents without electricity till today.

Electricity supply has been badly hit after several power poles and transmission lines were damaged or snapped at multiple locations. The storm also caused significant damage inside the Jarasal Reserved Forest, where numerous trees were uprooted.

At the Nalapara Range Forest Office, a large teak tree fell within the area, narrowly sparing the lives of forest personnel present at the time.

However, the only government vehicle used by the staff, a Maruti van, sustained major damage.

Since March 17, the workers of APDCL (Assam Power Distribution Company Limited) have been engaged in restoration work on a war footing.

Power supply has been restored in nearly 75% of the affected areas within two days. However, several regions, including Tanganpara, Garopara, and large parts of Joypur, are still without electricity.

As a result, residents in these areas have been forced to live in darkness for the past five days.

Locals have urged the Power department to expedite restoration work, expressing concern over the increased risk of wild elephant attacks in the absence of electricity, as the region is known for frequent elephant movement.

The storm severely affected villages along the Meghalaya border, including Puran Sukurboriya, Belguri, Nalapara, Secha, Tanganpara, Thengapara, Challi, Joypur, and Garopara, as well as nearby areas such as Berigaon, Balapur, Loharghat, Kulsi, and Borduwar Tea Estate.

Many houses were damaged or blown away, while trees were uprooted, causing extensive disruption.