Long-pending underground cabling project remains stalled as residents grapple with recurring outages
A fallen tree snapped overhead power lines in Chinchinim after gusty winds battered the village on Saturday evening.
MARGAO
Velim may be one of the few constituencies where underground power cabling, barring some areas, has yet to take off, leaving residents grappling with recurring power disruptions and ageing infrastructure.
While underground cabling work has already been completed in constituencies such as Margao and Fatorda, and is underway in adjoining areas, villages across Velim constituency continue to wait for the long-promised project to materialise.
Power department officials privately admit that villages in the constituency — from Velim to Ambelim and Assolna, including the riverine belt as well as Chinchinim and Dramapur — are in urgent need of underground cabling to address persistent power issues.
According to officials, the proposal for underground cabling in Velim was first moved in 2019. Since then, successive power ministers and senior department officials have repeatedly assured residents that the chronic power woes plaguing the constituency would end once underground cabling was implemented.
After assuming office in 2022, Aam Aadmi Party MLA Cruz Silva strongly pushed for the project. In June 2025, senior power officials assured the Velim MLA that the long-awaited underground cabling project would soon become a reality.
In this regard, the department had prepared estimates worth around Rs 51 crore for the implementation of the project. However, Silva has now been informed that the estimates have once again been sent for revision, raising uncertainty over when the project will finally take off.
The MLA has openly expressed disappointment, stating that repeated promises made to resolve the constituency’s power problems remain unfulfilled.
Ageing Dramapur feeder a major concern
A glaring example of the constituency’s deteriorating power infrastructure is the ageing 11kV Dramapur feeder, which is now around 35 years old.
Power officials said the feeder has witnessed multiple instances of insulator failures, resulting in erratic power supply to consumers. The feeder stretches approximately 18 km, of which nearly 8 km passes through waterlogged areas, while another 2 km traverses a crusher zone, making maintenance particularly challenging.
In June 2025, the Power Department prepared an action plan and assured that estimates would be drawn up for the replacement of all insulators along the feeder. However, according to the Velim MLA, the underground cabling project continues to remain confined to paper, with little visible progress on the ground.
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Public fury erupts over delayed power restoration in Velim
MARGAO: Even as the Electricity Department pushes ahead with the rollout of smart power meters, it came under fire in Velim constituency after struggling to restore electricity in Chinchinim and adjoining areas hit by prolonged outages following weekend storms.
Many parts of Chinchinim and nearby areas remained without electricity for several hours after strong winds on Saturday damaged power infrastructure, triggering widespread frustration among consumers already grappling with recurring outages during every monsoon season.
Tempers flared late Sunday night when angry residents gathered at the Electricity Department office in Chinchinim, only to find no officials or personnel present to provide updates on the restoration work. Frustrated over the prolonged blackout and lack of communication, the irate crowd later went to the residence of Velim MLA Cruz Silva shortly after midnight, demanding answers over the delay in restoring power supply.
The MLA reportedly gave the agitated residents a patient hearing and assured them that senior officials of the department would be summoned to address the issue. Acting on the assurance, a delegation of electricity officials led by Superintending Engineer Rajeev Samant met local residents and the MLA in Chinchinim on Monday. During the meeting, officials promised to deploy additional manpower and take steps to improve the response mechanism during emergencies.
However, residents maintained that the problem runs much deeper and reflects years of neglect of the power infrastructure in the area.
The situation worsened after a couple of electric poles collapsed in water-filled fields at Durga during Saturday’s storm. Restoration work was delayed significantly as electricity personnel could not immediately access the damaged sites due to flooding and marshy conditions.
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Outage exposes flaws in power dept emergency communication system
MARGAO: Public anger over the prolonged power outage in Chinchinim was largely triggered by a communication gap, as residents were unable to reach power department officials and personnel over the phone.
Chinchinim Panchayat member and former Sarpanch Valentino Barretto said people were left in a state of panic due to the lack of updates from the department regarding the restoration of power supply.
“We are in the peak of summer when electricity is a necessity. People lost patience because no one from the department was answering calls. Many residents had stocked food in their refrigerators, and one can imagine their anxiety when many parts of the village remained without power for several hours,” Barretto said.
He added that residents were anxiously awaiting the restoration of electricity, but repeated calls to the department office went unanswered.
“We have suggested to the Junior Engineer that at least panchayat members be kept informed so that we can, in turn, share updates through social media groups,” he said.
