Residents of isolated Gram panchayats in Tirthan Valley of Kullu district are facing frequent power outages. Villagers, especially those in Mashiyar, Majhli and Kameda areas, are the worst affected due to power cuts for almost two months, mainly due to a faulty transformer.

Local leaders, including former panchayat vice-president Prakash Thakur and many ward members, said that since August 7, malfunctioning of the transformer in Majhli had led to serious electricity problems. Electricity Department officials, during an inspection on August 8, found that several parts of the transformer had been damaged. The ministry said the transformer would have to operate with a reduced capacity of two phases instead of the standard three phases and promised to replace it with a new one.

More than 70 days have passed since the problem occurred and villagers are frustrated with the lack of progress in restoring the transformer. They noted that the transformer frequently malfunctioned, especially during morning and evening peak hours, causing inconvenience to people.

As winter approaches, there is an urgent need for a reliable electricity supply network. Villagers have expressed their concerns as the demand for electricity is bound to increase for heating and lighting during the winter. They asked the electricity department to prioritize the installation of a higher capacity transformer before the onset of winter.

Shashikant, assistant engineer of Banjar Electrical Subdivision, said the department was aware of the problem and would resolve it. He added that a few people were involved in electricity theft in Thirthan Valley, which was also a cause of low voltage and power outages. A fine of around Rs 8 lakh had been imposed on these violators.

Previously, a problem had developed in an electrical transformer, which the ministry had rectified. To solve the low voltage problem, it is planned to install an electrical transformer in each village.

Banjar MP Surender Shourie said, “Low voltage problem and power supply outages are common in several panchayats of Thirthan Valley. To combat this problem, a proposal was made during the BJP regime to set up a 33 Kv station in Thirthan Valley and “The land for this has been identified. Money has also been approved for this purpose. I will take up the matter with the state government to invite tenders for setting up a 33 Kv station, which will resolve the issue,” he added.