Chopal without power for 8 days, essential services hit

Kuldeep Chauhan

Tribune News Service

Shimla, March 8

Chopal residents continue to live in the dark for the past eight days. The medical services are also hit in the Civil Hospitals of Chopal and Nerwa. The power outage has crippled the official work as no post could be received at the subdivisional headquarters.

The worst-hit are the patients admitted to the hospitals in Chopal and Nerwa. “The hospitals lack proper heating arrangements as the electricity and water is not available,” said an attendants of a patient.

As many as 400 electricity poles were damaged due to heavy snowfall on the Balson-Chambi-Khirki-Chharki-Pabaas-Khail- Jhiknipul-Chopal route that has plunged the entire subdivision into darkness since last Sunday. “HP State Electricity Board Ltd (HPSEBL) does not have the required manpower to erect new poles. We have to work amid heavy snowfall,” a linesman working on the restoration of the power supply said.

“The electricity lines have been damaged extensively by the uprooted trees that fell due to heavy snowfall in the area,” said Naresh Thakur, subdivisional officer,Chopal.

“We have provided manpower to the power board and the power supply is likely to be restored by tomorrow,” he added.

Though the Chopal-Theog-Shimla road was opened for the bus and ambulance service yesterday after four days, the transportation remained suspended at Riuni, Chharki and Khirki due to fresh snowfall today.

Several villages like Shantha, Dewat, Bamta, Maroag, Tharoach, Nerwa, Daiya, Kupvi, Sarahan are without electricity for the past eight days. “Even the IPH water pipelines of Shilgranh,Dewat and Bateuri were damaged due to snowfall and we are melting the snow to make drinking water available,” said Deepak Kumar, a resident of Shilgranh.

Similarly, residents of Kinnaur, Spiti, Chandra Valley in Lahaul continue to face the power blackout for the past four days.

HPSEBL managing director PC Negi said they were trying to restore the power supply to Chopal. “The work is on in most of the areas. The bad weather has hampered the work,” he added.