Power cuts dog Howrah

HOWRAH: Power crisis in Howrah has started affecting the social and economic fabric of the township.
With the rains playing truant and CESC resorting to massive power cuts, angry citizens have taken to demonstrating on the streets.
Moreover, CESC’s drive against power theft has led to the shutdown of hundreds of small factories in Howrah, rendering many workers jobless.Tempers are running high as factory owners accuse the power distribution company of being unfair and high-handed.
The CESC, on the other hand, claims the newer stringent laws empower them to crack down on power thieves.
“Constant power cuts have led to a lot of suffering in these hot and humid days. At times, the power cuts continue for hours, with only a few-minutes of respite,� said Sumit Haldar, a resident of Salkia in north Howrah.
The CESC may be vigilant in tackling power theft, but when it comes to redressal, officials seem to drag their feet. Residents say that no CESC personnel can be contacted to register complaints, let alone redress them.
“The emergency telephone lines of CESC’s Howrah office remain engaged throughout the day. The CESC Shibpur office telephone keeps ringing but nobody answers,� said Sabari Chakraborty, a resident of Ramkrishnapur in south Howrah.
“We wanted to know why the power cuts were occurring and how long they would last. What is the point in giving us so many telephone numbers, when there is nobody to attend to us,� asked Ganatantrik Nagarik Samity secretary Subhash Dutta, who led a demonstration against power cuts on Thursday.
Students now bear the brunt of power cuts. “With no lights, children cannot study in the evening. They just sit around wasting time, but there is nothing we can do,� said Shiela Devi, councillor of ward no. 30.
According to a CESC spokesperson, problems with the DVC resulted in the crisis. The DVC immediately switches off supply to CESC whenever there is a shortfall.