DIMAPUR, OCTOBER 3 : After enduring five consecutive days (and nights) without power supply, residents of three localities in Dimapur: Landmark, Supply and Duncan resorted to imposing a road blockade on Monday at the Duncan-Supply-PWD tri-junction to force the department concerned for restoration works.
On the evening of September 28 last, the 500kVA power transformer installed near the Duncan-Supply-PWD junction broke down. This, in turn, had cut-off power supply to consumers in Landmark, Supply and Duncan.
According to residents of the area, two days later, on September 30 last, a replacement power transformer was installed. The substitute, with only half the capacity of the original one, could not sustain the strength of demand and broke down as soon as it was installed.
Since then most of the residents have been without power supply even as a second substitute transformer was installed. Reportedly, an arrangement was made to facilitate load shedding. But the residents, their woes made worse by the remorseless heat, wanted immediate restoration.
What really miffed the residents, however, has been the perceived apathy from the department concerned. It was not long ago that youths from one of the three localities had burnt down the office of the power department near PWD office for the same reason.
But on Monday morning, it was the mothers who were at the forefront. With umbrellas for protection from the blazing sun, and water bottles to sustain, they sat themselves on the highway as well as the adjoining roads, blocking traffic in the process. The blockade started at around 11.30 am.
With one of the busiest roads of Dimapur blocked off entirely, vehicles were diverted to Circular Road – throwing the traffic into a major snarl. The blockade on the tri-junction lasted for about two hours.
Harsh words were exchanged between the protestors, now joined by men, and the police officials who had arrived at the scene. Only after assurance from officials of power department to replace the transformer with a higher-capacity one, the protestors relented to call the blockade off. At around 2 pm, another transformer was installed.
