The Democratic Youth Federation of India (DYFI) state committee staged a protest on Wednesday against widespread power outages across Tripura. Demonstrations took place in front of the electricity corporation’s office at the TRTC complex in Agartala, where protestors demanded immediate intervention from senior management to address the manpower shortage in the power department.
“We need immediate recruitment to ensure that such power crises do not continue to disrupt daily life,” stated a DYFI representative. “The lack of manpower is the root cause of the department’s inability to manage the situation.”
In Santirbazar, frustration boiled over into a road blockade in the West Charakbai area after a domestic animal was electrocuted due to a negligently left hanging wire. Residents, angered by the electricity department’s disregard for safety, blocked a major road in protest. They voiced concerns that such negligence could lead to even more severe accidents.
The protesters also criticized Jiban Debnath, an engineer from the electricity department, for his unprofessional behavior when approached about the issues. This incident further fueled the community’s anger, leading to the blockade. Local officials, including DCM Pabitra Das and SDO Pranab Majumder, rushed to the scene to assure residents that corrective measures would be taken. The road was cleared following these assurances, and DCM Das conducted an on-site assessment to ensure future mishaps would be prevented.
Meanwhile, in Kailasahar, villagers of Jarultali expressed their discontent by blocking the alternate highway road and Chandipur road for over seven hours. The villagers, who had been without power for five days, attributed the outages to the private power service provider, Sai Computer Ltd.
Despite efforts to clear fallen trees from power lines following a cyclonic storm, the company failed to restore electricity, leading to severe disruptions in both power and water supply. “The power crisis has made it impossible for us to access clean drinking water,” lamented one resident. “We took matters into our own hands, clearing the debris, but received no support from Sai Computer Ltd.” Officials from Chandipur Block and the Kailasahar Police Station intervened, promising to expedite the restoration of power. The blockade was lifted after these assurances, but residents remained wary of further delays.
In the Ishailalchhara area of Dharmanagar, hundreds of residents blocked the road to Kadamtala to demand the restoration of electricity and water supply. While nearby areas like Kadamtala and Brajendra Nagar had power, Ishailalchhara remained in the dark for four days.
The residents accused the electricity department of ignoring their appeals, resulting in severe disruptions to their water supply, forcing them to use contaminated sources. Security personnel and power company contractors eventually arrived to negotiate with the villagers. However, the blockade was only lifted after the Officer-in-Charge of Kadamtala Police Station assured the residents that their power issues would be addressed promptly.
The widespread protests underscore the dire need for comprehensive solutions to Tripura’s power crisis. Residents and activists alike are calling for immediate action to enhance the efficiency and responsiveness of the electricity department to prevent future disruptions and ensure the safety and well-being of all communities.
