Aizawl: While the rest of Mizoram was celebrating the YMA (Young Mizo Association) Day on June 15, the residents of Saikhawthlir, Chuhvel, and Kananthar – three villages in Mamit district – were in turmoil. They had lost all power after a dose of heavy monsoon rains and thunderstorms, and there was no hope of accessing working current lines unless they got into action.
“We wanted to celebrate YMA day so the village council leaders from the three villages met and decided that we should work on the repairs. We decided that we had to act otherwise we would not have any access to working current,” said Vanlalnunga, Saikhawthlir YMA President.
This was not the first time volunteers from the three villages mobilized to get their power lines running after damages due to rain and storm. Every monsoon, at least once or twice a year, the villagers have to set out and put aside a day or two to carry out the repairs so they can have access to electricity.
“Some volunteers came with their cars as the current line goes for about 10 to 20 kilometers. We set out right after breakfast and worked till late in the night. There are many business persons in our village and now that all the transactions are done online, it affects our daily life. It also affects carpenters’ work. But most importantly, the ill in our village are affected. A generator owned by the YMA is used exhaustively to look after the sick who are in dire need of medical aid,” said the branch YMA President.
Lalthlanawma, former vice president and a current executive member of the Chuhvel YMA branch, which was one of the three villages that participated in the voluntary work, told EastMojo, “Now our current lines have started working. We were in the dark for four days after the heavy storm and rain. As our current lines go through dense forest areas, it is difficult for a few workers to detect and work on them. There are insufficient workers in the Power department, so the YMA and VC members come together to help them.”
According to the 2011 census, Saikhawthlir has a population of 904 people, while Chuhvel has a population of 646 and Kananthar has a population of around 268. The volunteers gathered for three consecutive days. On Thursday, about ten volunteers worked on the current line repairs, while on Friday, volunteers from two villages, Saikhawthlir and Chuhvel, set to work on the repairs, and on the third day, Saturday, about 30 people from each village worked on the repairs.
The current line was out from June 14 to 17. After they completed the repairs at about 8pm on Saturday, the line was restored to working condition. At least three staff from the Power and Electricity department assisted the volunteers.
“We have been neglected by the Power and Electricity department. The current lines and systems are over a decade old. The disc insulators and other parts are damaged to a point where we cannot even detect the faultlines,” said Vanlalnunga. Except for one occasion where there was a current leakage, he said they have been able to protect themselves so far. The YMA had purchased a generator that is used in times of a current outage. They made use of the generator at the YMA day celebrations.
EastMojo spoke to the Executive Engineer of Mamit’s Power and Electricity Department, Masanga, on the allegation of negligence. “We never neglect any areas, that is not how Mizoram Power and Electricity department functions. However, if there are damages to the power line, then we cannot give them power. We never restrict power in any area,” he said
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However, he stressed on the acute staff shortage faced by the department. “There is insufficient staff at all levels, not just in our jurisdiction but in other parts of the state too. It has come to a point where we cannot have transfers and postings. We have insufficient line staff too. While there are retirees, there has been no one to replace them. For example, in Zamuang village, around 4 to 5 years back, there were two persons in each shift but now, there is only one person in each shift. We do not even have sufficient staff for line duty muster roll, one person has to look after 4-5 villages. The staff shortage is massive.”
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