Traders protest recurring power cuts

Tribune News Service

Haridwar, June 7

Residents and traders held a protest here today against intermittent power cuts for the past two days.

They expressed resentment over the power cuts, ranging from half an hour to five hours. They said in the hot and humid climatic conditions, regular power cuts had worsened their problems.

Trader representatives said due to regular and long power cuts, their business were getting affected. People coming from across the country during the pilgrimage-tourist season were also facing inconveniences owing to the laxity by the Electricity Department.

Ranipur trader unit president Mridul Kaushik said intermittent powers cuts had become a routine for the past one week. But during the past two days, power cuts of five to six hours had severely normal life as well as trade.

Kaushik questioned the attitude of the Electricity Department and power corporation officials and said despite repeated reminders, no solution to the power cuts had been found by the department.

Trader Anup Singh Sidhu said hundreds of industrial firms in the integrated industrial estate of SIDCUL were facing major losses due to power cuts.

Akash Ohri said in May 2013, the then Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna had announced to make Haridwar a power cut-free city but three years had passed and the announcement has failed to materialise.

Power Corporation subdivisional officer Ajay Dhiman said as work was under progress on 33 kw line for the past four days, power supply was getting affected. Regular power supply would be restored in a day or two as the work would get complete.

Treasurer of the Chandracharya trader unit Sunil Gulati, Surendra Aggarwal, Sanjeev Sharma, Hemant Meherbal, Sudhakar Uniyal, Kamruddin Sagir, Brij Raj Khare, Rajesh Gupta, Prem Thapa, Sanjay Patiwar, Manish Sachdeva, Nathu Kshatriya, Furkan and Vishal took part in the protest.