Kendrapada: Villagers of Bhitaragada, Budhi and Jaguleipada in Kendrapada district's Rajnagar block staged a dharna in front of the TPCODL office at Rajnagar on Friday, demanding restoration of power to their villages. For the last two weeks, there has been no electricity in their villages as overhead cables were damaged due to heavy rain. This has forced children to study under the dim light of kerosene lamps and candles.
Impact on Daily Life
"Villagers are facing a lot of problems without electricity. Students are the worst sufferers," said Parikhit Sethi of Budhi village. "I have been studying under candlelight but students of other villages are connected with power," added Manik Mallick, a class VI student from Bhitaragada. People who own mobile phones have to trek one kilometer to recharge them. "We listen to news and songs on radios and mobile phones. Some villagers trek 1.5 km to a nearby village to watch TV," said Malay Nayak of Budhi. "It is very difficult after dark, particularly when I have to keep the lamp burning on windy days," said Malati Mallick of Bhitaragada. There is also a dearth of kerosene in the villages.
Safety Concerns
As most of the villages are surrounded by forests, the threat from wild animals increases after dark. "Most villagers stay indoors after dusk," said Parikhita Mallick of Bhitaragada.
Official Response
When contacted, Satyaprasad Sahoo, the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) of TATA Power Central Odisha Distribution Limited (TPCODL), Rajnagar, said, "Due to incessant rain, the overhead cable was disconnected at many places in these villages. We will soon repair and install new overhead cable in the villages to restore power."
