GUWAHATI: Barpeta is reeling under a severe power crunch, affecting people working from home and also those in home isolation because of Covid-19. Not to mention the children taking online classes.
This, in addition to the rising mercury.
Villages of Nalbari and Barpeta districts said frequent power cuts, sometimes for around five hours at a stretch, in the past two days are making life, already compounded by the pandemic, miserable.
Frequent power cuts are being reported in the villages under Sorbhog and Kalgachia revenue circles, leaving people working from home and those under home isolation struggling.
"The unscheduled load shedding lasts up to 2-3 hours in the evening. At night, it's one hour on and the next off. We are really at the end of our tether as it has been incredibly hot since the end of June, " said Rafiqul Islam of Ghugubari village in Barpeta under Sorbhog revenue circle.
"We get only 3-4 hours' power supply in the evening. Life is sometimes unbearable because of the heat and power cuts," said Himangshu Deka, a resident of Barkhetry in Nalbari district.
Consumers have been expressing their anguish on social media platforms and criticising the Assam Power Distribution Company Limited (APDCL).
An APDCL official said it is buying power from central PSUs and "once we are able to pay our dues, we will be able to ensure 24-hour power supply".
He appealed to the people of Assam to pay their dues on time so that the investment required for developing infrastructure to ensure round-the-clock power supply can be achieved.
