Kolkata: Employees of the West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) who had faced public wrath in various parts of the cyclone Amphan-hit districts for a delay in the restoration of power supply following the devastation, have now appeared to be the harbingers of life for the villagers in the remote pockets of North and South 24-Parganas as the several low-laying regions in the two districts virtually turned into islands and the people were living in darkness.
The power supply could not be restored in some of these pockets of North 24-Parganas and South 24-Parganas, despite several attempts by the WBSEDCL because several stretches are still under submerged condition and the electrical poles were blown away by the cyclone. Despite innumerable challenges the WBSEDCL has started the repairing works in the remote areas of Hingalgunj in North 24-Parganas and Kulpi in South 24-Parganas where power supply could not be resumed.
Even the villagers in the affected areas have already realized how difficult it was to reinstall the electric poles on a submerged piece of land. Any attempt to restore power line in such condition may cause further damage to life and property.
The employees of the WBSEDCL have started the uphill task of erecting poles in the submerged areas of Hingalganj and Kulpi with the local villagers joining hands. WBSEDCL employees have been toiling hard in the knee deep water along with the villagers round the clock for the past two days to restore power supply. Restoration work has been going on at Khejuri II in East Midnapore and other parts as well.
"Amphan had caused massive devastation and more than 60 percent of sub-stations were damaged. Electric towers and poles were destroyed. Reconstruction of towers is a very difficult task. Our employees have been working day and night to restore power in some pockets," said Biswarup Mukherjee, CPRO, WBSEDCL.
West Bengal State Electricity Workmen's Union staged a protest demonstration in front of the main gate of Vidyut Bhawan on Tuesday against the communal politics by the Narendra Modi government at the Centre.
The members of the organization also voiced their protest against the killing of black American George Floyd.