SUNDAY, MAY 19, 2024
Team Herald
MARGAO: As scorching temperatures persisted, residents in and around New Model Bhatikar High School, at Housing Board, endured hardship when the power supply unexpectedly shut down, leaving hundreds to suffer for hours in the oppressive heat.
The revelation surfaced that the power department's failure to repair the faulty RMA unit of the transformer led to widespread suffering among residents, including senior citizens, who endured hours of hardship due to the prolonged power outage.
Residents, fuelled by frustration, voiced their anger and accused the department of taking citizens for granted, expressing their discontent over the negligence that led to their suffering during the power outage.
It has been reported that on Monday, at around 10 am, the power department initiated a shutdown of the power supply in the area to rectify a technical fault in the transformer. This maintenance work was intended to prevent any disruptions on the day of polling, yet the department's efforts proved unsuccessful. Subsequently, technicians from another area were summoned to the site, but by then, residents had already endured significant hardships due to the prolonged outage.
Speaking to OHeraldo, Damodar Nirloti expressed frustration, highlighting that hundreds of people had to endure tough times due to the sudden power shutdown amid the hot weather.
The sudden shutdown occurred without any prior intimation to the public. It is the department’s failure to consider the scorching weather conditions and the vulnerability of senior citizens residing in the locality. Officials of the department spent five hours at the site but were still unable to rectify the fault, exacerbating the ordeal for residents, he alleged.
Another resident of the Housing Board questioned how a department could undertake work if they were unable to complete it on time, expressing frustration at the inefficiency that led to prolonged suffering for the community.
Reacting to the issue, the concerned official admitted that the technical staff at the site failed to rectify the faulty RMA unit of the transformer, acknowledging the shortcomings in their efforts to address the power outage promptly.
The official explained that the aforementioned work was undertaken to ensure there would be no issues on the day of the polling for the Lok Sabha elections. However, due to the inability to rectify the faulty unit, they were compelled to seek assistance from experts from other areas, resulting in significant delays.
He assured residents that the department also regrets the inconvenience caused by the lack of power supply and expressed sympathy for their plight.
