Karsua villagers protest for six hours over electricity outage issues

Residents of Karsua village in Lodha staged a six-hour protest on Tuesday at the Lodha power station, demanding urgent action to resolve electricity issues caused by a burnt transformer. The transformer had malfunctioned on July 15, leaving farmers struggling to irrigate their fields. Frustrated by the lack of response from authorities, locals, led by Lokesh Tiwari, gathered at the power station gate, braving the rain and locking the premises while raising slogans against the electricity department.

The protest, which began at around 11:30 AM, continued until 5:15 PM. It was only called off after Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) Saurabh Bhardwaj assured the protesters that the issue would be resolved within 24 hours. Key participants included Ramu Tomar, Prince Tomar, Surajpal Sharma, Ramprakash Singh, Neeru Singh, Kushalpal Singh, Bunty, and Lavkush.

Separately, a dispute arose when electricity department workers attempted to install a new transformer after a delay of nearly six days. Vikram Solanki, a local resident, objected, citing safety concerns over an overhead power line passing dangerously close to rooftops. Junior Engineer Santosh Sharma stated that the transformer was initially installed on government land but was obstructed by Solanki. The department has since filed a complaint against him at Lodha police station.

SDO Bhardwaj confirmed that the protest was resolved amicably and assured villagers that the transformer would be installed soon to restore electricity supply. However, the incident highlights ongoing tensions between residents and the electricity department, with safety concerns and delays in addressing infrastructure issues adding to the frustration.