Tauseef Ahmad
Bandipora Jan. 23: The residents of Banyari village in north Kashmir’s Bandipora district have been without electricity for the past two weeks as the electric transformer got damaged twice, plunging the entire area into darkness.
Locals, while talking to Kashmir Despatch, said that after the transformer was damaged, they pooled money to shift it to the workshop of the Power Development Department (PDD) at Sumbal Bandipora for repair.
“We have collected 2,400 from the household and paid the fair of the vehicle to send it to the workshop for repair, but within 24 hours of its repair, the transformer was again damaged, forcing locals to shift it again to the PDD’s workshop,” said Shabir Ahmad, a local resident of the village.
The residents said that for the past two weeks they have been suffering from an absence of electric supply.
They said that they failed to understand how the transformer developed a snag soon after its repair.
“We visited the workshop several times to get the transformer but were told that the transformer is yet to be repaired.” “The department has taken us for a ride, and it seems no one listens to our woes,” said Abdul Ahad, a local.
The residents said that they have been forced to travel to nearby villages to charge their mobile phones and other electric appliances.
They demanded repair and upgrade of the transformer at the earliest possible time so that their suffering would end.
The residents said that we have approached the authorities, but in vain, nothing positive has come from their end.
The residents appealed to the concerned authorities to look into the matter and resolve their issue at the earliest
Meanwhile, officials from the PDD said that the transformer had been damaged due to overload. He appealed to people to use electricity judiciously.
