Team Herald
MARGAO: Frustrated by frequent power outages, residents of Navelim have called on authorities to expedite the completion of underground cabling work, which was initiated on Monday.
Authorities announced that the underground cabling project, costing Rs 89 crore, was launched a few days ago. Villagers are hopeful that this initiative will finally improve the reliability of electricity supply in the area.
Acknowledging the difficulties residents are experiencing due to frequent power failures, local MLA Ulhas Tuenkar stated that the underground cabling project will cover four out of the five villages in the Navelim constituency.
“Power disruptions have become a daily issue, especially during the monsoon, with branches falling on overhead lines. However, with the installation of underground HT lines, we can use advanced technology to identify faults, significantly reducing power outages,” Tuenkar explained.
He added that the project was delayed due to administrative procedures and due to departmental approvals.
The MLA urged residents to cooperate during the ongoing construction work, which will involve road digging, and assured them that most of the project would be completed before the next monsoon season.
However, villagers have urged the authorities to expedite the completion of the ongoing works. They emphasize the pressing need for a reliable power supply, particularly given the disruptions they’ve faced during previous monsoon seasons.
“We have already been facing a tough time due to the power outages; however, we hope that this underground cabling will resolve all the issues. In the past, it has been noticed that contractors often take longer to complete the work beyond the scheduled date, resulting in hardships for the residents,” said Krishna Naik, a Navelim resident.
He pointed out that they were severely inconvenienced in the past due to work on the sewerage network, which remains un-commissioned despite being completed.
Naik emphasized that, as one of the busiest villages, projects left incomplete by government authorities lead to hardships for residents in the Navelim constituency.