Power crisis in bhojpur district continues

Kumar Rajiv Nayan
Ara: An acute power crisis has made life miserable for the people of Bhojpur district. Power consumers on an average are getting power for 10 to 12 hours a day for the last one month. Educational institutions, domestic consumers, commercial establishments and hospitals have been hit hard by the power crisis.
According to report, loadshedding in the district occurs for nine to ten hours daily besides frequent breakdowns of power supply during the remaining period. The situation is worsening with each passing day but the officials of South Bihar Power Distribution Company Limited (SBPDCL) are claiming an improvement in the situation. Due to power crisis, the entire market area becomes deserted early in the evening causing considerable loss to the businessmen.
Due to persistent power crisis, tubewells and flour mills have become virtually defunct and many smallscale units are facing closure. This may render many workers jobless. The power crisis has adversely affected the agriculture work in the district and farmers are compelled to operate their machines with the help of generator sets but they find it difficult to obtain diesel on time.
Power theft is rampant here. The consumers often throw hooks on the supply wire leading to overloading, fluctuation and low voltage.
Resentment prevails among the power consumers against the officials of the energy department. Residents of Ara town are being supplied power through five feeders but the consumers of feeder nos.3, 4, 5 are getting a raw deal and they are planning to register their protest through agitation.
Executive Engineer, SBPDCL, Raj Kumar said that at least 50MW was needed for the uninterrupted power supply but Bhojpur district is being allotted only 30 MW to 35 MW a day and power is supplied through feeder alternatively and that is the reason for long power cut. He also said maintenance work is going on for the uninterrupted power supply during summer.