Himachal Pradesh: Residents of remote gram panchayats in the Tirthan Valley of Kullu district have been facing frequent power cuts. Villagers, especially those in Mashiyar, Majhli and Kameda areas, have been the worst hit with power supply disrupted for the past two months due to a faulty transformer. Local leaders, including a former panchayat vice-president Prakash Thakur and several ward members, said a faulty transformer in Majhli has caused severe power outages since August 7. During an inspection on August 8, power department officials found that several parts of the transformer were damaged. The department indicated that the transformer would have to work at a reduced capacity of two phases instead of the standard three phases and promised to replace it. It has been more than 70 days since the problem surfaced and villagers are frustrated with the lack of progress in fixing the transformer.
They said the transformer often malfunctions, especially during peak load hours in the morning and evening, causing inconvenience to people. With the winter season fast approaching, there is an urgent need felt for a reliable power supply network. Villagers have raised concerns that the demand for power for heating and lighting will increase in winter. They have requested the power department to prioritise the installation of high-capacity transformers before the onset of winter. Banjar power subdivision assistant engineer Shashikant said the department is aware of the problem and it will be resolved. He said some people in Tirthan Valley are indulging in power theft, which is a reason for low voltage and power cuts.
A fine of around Rs 8 lakh has been imposed on such offenders. Earlier, a power transformer had developed a fault, which was fixed by the department. To deal with the low voltage problem, there is a plan to install a power transformer in every village. Banjar MLA Surendra Shourie said, “The problem of low voltage and disruption of power supply is common in many panchayats of Tirthan Valley. To deal with this problem, a proposal was made to set up a 33 KV station in Tirthan Valley during the BJP rule and land for this was also identified. Funds have also been sanctioned for this. I will raise the issue of issuing tender for setting up a 33 KV station before the state government, which will solve the problem,” he said.
