The festive spirit of the Bengali New Year in Kalyanpur was dampened after a brief spell of rain and mild winds late Wednesday night triggered a major power outage, leaving the area without electricity for over 12 hours. The disruption began around 11 PM and extended into Thursday afternoon, severely affecting daily life and celebrations.
Residents and business owners expressed frustration over the recurring collapse of the power system, pointing out that even minor weather disturbances expose the fragile state of the local electricity infrastructure. Many questioned the preparedness of authorities, especially during festive occasions.
According to officials, the electricity department is grappling with a severe manpower shortage, with only six personnel currently tasked with maintaining the entire distribution network in the region. Senior manager Manindra Debbarma stated that while the 33 KV feeder line from Teliamura’s Gamaibari to Kalyanpur was restored, all five 11 KV feeders — Ampura, West Ghilatali, Kamalnagar, Kalyanpur, and Hospital — remained non-functional for hours.
The damage was primarily caused by falling trees, bamboo, and branches during the rain, which led to snapped conductors at multiple points. Debbarma acknowledged that repairing such widespread damage with limited staff is a major challenge.
The situation has been further complicated by contractor agencies refusing to undertake repair work due to pending payments. As a result, the electricity corporation has been left to manage the crisis on its own, a task officials admit is extremely difficult under current constraints.
The prolonged blackout disrupted water supply, healthcare services, and routine activities, while local businesses reported financial losses. Residents noted that such outages occur frequently during monsoon or even light storms, with no lasting solution implemented.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with locals demanding immediate restoration of power and long-term infrastructure upgrades to prevent recurring disruptions in the future.
