Member of Parliament Urges Swift Decision to Extended Power Cuts on Katchal Island

Tarun Karthick

Port Blair, 19 August 2023

The Member of Parliament for Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Mr. Kuldeep Rai Sharma, has referred to as upon the Secretary (Power) of the Andaman and Nicobar Administration to urgently deal with the continuing energy disaster that has left residents of Katchal Island in misery.

Highlighting the dire scenario on Katchal Island, Mr. Sharma penned a letter to the Secretary (Power) outlining the extreme energy cuts which have plagued the island for almost ten days. He expressed deep concern concerning the escalating energy disaster, which has left residents grappling with prolonged intervals of darkness.

According to Mr. Sharma, initially, the ability interruptions lasted roughly eight hours, inflicting vital inconvenience to the island’s inhabitants. However, the scenario took a grim flip not too long ago when energy cuts prolonged all through the whole day, exacerbating the already difficult circumstances.

These extended energy cuts, it’s reported, stem from a scarcity of High-Speed Diesel (HSD) oil on Katchal Island. Moreover, logistical delays in transporting the important HSD oil from Port Blair to Katchal Island have additional worsened the scenario.

Katchal Island, located in a distant and remoted location, already faces quite a few geographical challenges. The residents have displayed outstanding resilience in coping with these challenges through the years. However, the present situation of each day energy cuts lasting over 8 to 10 hours has intensified their hardships.

In mild of those circumstances, Mr. Sharma urged the Secretary (Power) to intervene swiftly and resolve the difficulty. “It is imperative that the supply of HSD oil to Katchal Island is expedited to restore regular and uninterrupted power supply as soon as possible,” he emphasised.

Furthermore, Mr. Sharma referred to as for the implementation of measures that might forestall related delays sooner or later. “Ensuring a reliable and timely supply of essential resources like HSD oil to not only Katchal Island but also other remote islands is of paramount importance,” he burdened.