Keonjhar : Whenever dark clouds cover the sky, leaves sway, or there’s even a light shower, power cuts have become a routine in the town, sparking growing discontent among residents. This dissatisfaction is gradually turning into a movement. Not only that, prolonged unannounced power cuts during daytime maintenance work have deeply disappointed consumers.
With sunset, power outages have become a regular ordeal, causing significant inconvenience to the townspeople. In addition, unannounced power cuts from midnight to 5 a.m. during the summer season have doubled the heat-related suffering and are pushing residents towards protest, warned Ashok Kumar Das, former president of the District Bar Association.
Due to these outages, essential services such as drinking water supply and healthcare are frequently disrupted, leading to immense difficulties for the common people. Except for some posh areas and the main market, most localities — including Runabazar, Atopur, Birabarapurpatna, Janardhanpur Shasan, Dhangarapada, Madhapur, Baniapat, Nuasahi, Kashipur, Badahal, and Brahmanigaon — are severely affected by these annual summer outages.
Das expressed anger, stating that such unbearable conditions are forcing the residents toward protest. If this is the condition in the district headquarters itself, it’s easy to imagine the state of electricity services in the rural areas of the district.
He further said that unless the electricity department provides consistent power supply during the summer and ensures proper services, the consumers of the town will be compelled to stage a protest and gherao the electricity office in the coming days.