Seven villages in South West Khasi Hills district are reeling under darkness for many months even as two of them have not seen electricity for the last one year.
This issue was flagged by the Khasi Students Union (KSU), South West Khasi Hills district to the Chief Engineer (Distribution) of the Meghalaya Power Distribution Corporation Limited (MePDCL) in Shillong on Tuesday.
The seven villages included Nongmluh, Mawphansaw, Pyndensynnia, Mawthungmlang, Phlangmawprah and Ryngkhiat under Ranikor Civil Sub-Division and Kensimphlang village under Mawkyrwat C&RD Block.
These villages lost power many months back after a local transformer was damaged. Mawphansaw and Nongmluh villages on the other hand have gone without electricity for almost a year.
“While transformers were installed, it simply does not work because these villages have been getting old transformers all this time,” KSU organising secretary, Dusterwell K. Lyngdoh said.
Urging the power authorities to take up the matter and replace the transformers with new ones to ease the sufferings of the villagers, Lyngdoh also said that the union took up the issue of power connectivity to 13 households located in Kensimphlang village.
He said that the union has suggested installation of a power station control room at Mawsaw or Umdohlun villages to ensure no disruption of power in Myriem, Rangblang, Umdohlun and Phlangdiloiñ villages.
Further the KSU has urged the government to implement the Saubhagya scheme by providing electricity connections to all poor households in the district.
Meanwhile, village elders of Phlangmawprah and members of the KSU, Umdohlun have sought the intervention of the government after their villages have been left without electricity since February, this year.
Phlangmawprah village secretary Grosstarwell Thongni met MeECL authorities today with a complaint that the villages of Phlangmawprah, Mawthungmlang, Mawphansaw, Mawmluh, Nongrynniang, Ryngkhiat, Rngi Mawpat, Pyndensynnia, Langpa and New Phanwiar were living without electricity for over eight months now.
Thongni said that while these villages runs with power for one to two weeks in a month, the electricity bills are calculated for a month period. He also said that electric poles in these villages are damaged and has not been replaced.
Meanwhile, the MeECL in Mawkyrwat has assured to look into the problems raised.
