Tarun Karthick
Sri Vijaya Puram, 28 April 2025
Residents of Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Shastri Nagar in Great Nicobar are grappling with extreme hardships after enduring practically 4 days of near-complete energy blackout. The distant villages, already stricken by frequent energy cuts for over a yr, have now seen the scenario worsen, prompting villagers to launch protests demanding pressing motion.
The Electricity Department had earlier attributed the continual energy points to ageing Aerial Bunched Cables (ABC). In a bid to rectify the scenario, new cables had been just lately put in, changing roughly 2.5 kilometres of the outdated community. However, the brand new infrastructure has reportedly developed faults shortly after set up, plunging the villages into darkness and exacerbating the residents’ difficulties.
In protest, villagers have blocked the SH-2 at Gandhi Nagar and prevented the STS bus from returning to Campbell Bay. They are demanding the fast set up of a generator to revive electrical energy to Laxmi Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, and Shastri Nagar. The protesters have declared that their agitation will proceed till a generator is deployed.
Historically, when the villages weren’t but linked to the Campbell Bay Power House, the Electricity Department had put in a small generator at Gandhi Nagar to produce energy to the residents for a couple of hours on a regular basis. Even after the institution of the direct energy line, the generator remained for a while however was ultimately eliminated a couple of years in the past. Residents had opposed its elimination, arguing that it ought to stay as a backup to serve throughout breakdowns — frequent within the area on account of dense forest terrain and frequent tree falls alongside the North-South Road.
According to villagers, electrical energy provide has been severely erratic since 18th April 2025, with the scenario deteriorating drastically during the last 4 days. The ongoing blackout has not solely disrupted every day life but in addition hampered cellular community connectivity, additional isolating the distant communities.
Residents have made it clear that they are going to proceed their protest till their demand for a generator is fulfilled.
