GUWAHATI, May 18 � Frequent �power cuts� have been making life miserable for the people of the State, particularly for the old, infant and sick ones, during these rainless and hot weather pre-monsoon days. Sources in the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) and its successor companies maintain that the power companies have been resorting to a schedule of one hour load-shedding in each of the areas.
While the situation is dismal in many parts of the city, according to informed sources here, power is available only for three to four hours on an average at Mangaldai, Jorhat, Tezpur, Biswanath Chariali and Nagaon in day time.
During the evening hours, one hour power cut has become a normal phenomenon these days and on occasions, power becomes unavailable for three hours at a stretch. Every alternate hour there is power cut in the day time at a place, said the sources.
Our correspondents from Jorhat, Tezpur, Kokrajhar, North Lakhimpur, Jagiroad and Rangiya have supported the above version of the above sources. Our Jorhat Correspondent reported that power cuts are observed in Jorhat for the past about one month between 9-30 am and 10 am, between 6-30 pm and 7-30 pm and 10-30 pm and 12 am.
Our Tezpur Correspondent reported that virtually no power was available since 9-30 am today in Tezpur. During the evening hours, the people of Tezpur usually get no power. Power becomes available usually between 11 pm and 2am and between 6-30 am and 9-30 am, said the correspondent.
Our Kokrajhar Correspondent reported that during the 24 hours of a day, power is available only for two to three hours that too the quality of power is very bad due to low voltage and this is damaging the electric equipment, said our correspondent.
Our North Lakhimpur Correspondent has reported that hardly 30 minutes in a period of two hours, power is available in this headquarter town of Lakhimpur district. There was no power between 9pm yesterday and 9 am today. Similar is the power scenario in this north bank town for the past about one month, said our correspondent.
Our Jagiroad Correspondent has reported that in a day power goes off on eight to nine occasions and power is available for 10 to 15 minutes at a stretch in a period. Generally, there is no power supplied to the people of this industrial township during the evening hours and during the night hours too power supply is erratic in this town, said the correspondent.
Our Rangiya Correspondent has reported that every evening between 7 pm and 8-30 pm there is load shedding, followed by another spell between 10pm and 11 pm in this north bank industrial town. During a day, load shedding is there on two to three occasions in this town and voltage fluctuation is also adding to the problems of the people of this town, reported the correspondent.
Residents in several areas of this capital city also complain that there is no schedule for load-shedding and, hence, they describe the act of frequent �load shedding� as the �whimsical power cuts� by the power companies, which have been claiming that they have been resorting to a scheduled load shedding to meet the shortfall of 150 MW to 200 MW.
A senior resident of Beltola Survey area said that for the past about three to four days there has been frequent and abrupt power cuts. The ASEB should let the people know what amount of power is available during the peak load hours and how industrial area and domestic consumers are receiving it. Power should be distributed equally. Industrial areas may be provided sufficient power between 11pm and 6 am, said the senior resident.
When asked to explain as to why in practice there has been no schedule maintained by the power companies in matters of load shedding, highly-placed sources in the ASEB said that the schedules prepared by the Deputy General Managers of the circles are yet to be finalized. It is expected that within a couple of days things could be sorted out, said these sources.
Citizens here feel that the Assam Electricity Regulatory Commission should monitor the power situation going by its mandate. The tariff and quality and availability of power should be linked up by the Commission.
