VALPOI
A three-day power disruption in Surla in Thane-Sattari leading to mobile network outage and water shortage prompted angry residents to march to the electricity department office in Valpoi.
The aggrieved residents threatened not to leave the office until the power supply was restored and they were pacified only when Assistant Engineer Deepak Gawas assured that the power supply would be restored by late Friday night.
Gawas explained to the residents that power lines at Rive were faulty, affecting power supply in Surla village and there had been a delay in restoring power supply on account of the repair work.
He added that officials had been busy following the tragic death of the lineman at Kankire earlier this week and were unable to ensure early restoration of power supply to Surla.
About 10 years ago, former chief minister and then MLA Pratapsing Rane had made efforts to get the electricity department to lay a 4-km underground cable from Rive to Surla, a village on the border of Karnataka, at a cost of Rs 4 crore. Previously, electricity was being supplied to this village from Karnataka.
The power lines from Thane to Rive passes through forested area and the wires had been damaged due to uprooting of trees.
Later speaking to reporters, a local Santosh Gaonkar said they had contacted the Valpoi power department office several times in the last three days, before angry residents finally decided to march to the Valpoi office.
Locals complained that the power outage had disrupted mobile network coverage and had led to water shortage, forcing them to walk for about 1 km for the last three days to fetch drinking water.
