Tarun Karthick
Port Blair, 24 August 2023
Residents of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are voicing their frustration over persistent power cuts that have disrupted daily life, businesses, and education for several months. In a letter addressed to the Hon’ble Lt. Governor, VD Leju, an LG Commendation Awardee and Social Worker from Hope Town, South Andaman, has called for immediate action to address the ongoing power crisis.
VD Leju also met the Chief Secretary and suggested connecting the Island’s Power Grid to Southern Regional Power Grid for permanent solution to the issue of power crisis in Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
The issue of inadequate power supply in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands dates back several decades. In the 1980s, load shedding was a nascent problem, with the Phoenix Bay Power House as the sole source of power generation. In response to the growing demand for electricity, the Chatham Power House was established with five Bergen engines of 2.5 MW capacity, leading to surplus power generation and the end of load shedding.
However, despite these early improvements, the government’s long-term approach to power generation was lacking. The establishment of the Surychakra Power Corporation Ltd in Bambooflat in 2003 was seen as a forward-thinking move to secure additional power sources from private providers. Power cuts became a distant memory.
Fast forward to 2023, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands are facing a power crisis of alarming proportions. Frequent power cuts have become the norm, affecting all aspects of daily life. Students preparing for exams, senior citizens, patients relying on medical equipment, and ordinary residents have all borne the brunt of this crisis.
The power cuts vary in duration, ranging from 30 minutes to several hours, and often occur without warning. Businesses, from small shops to larger enterprises, have suffered significant losses due to unreliable power supply. Electronic appliances have been damaged by voltage fluctuations, and even inverters have become ineffective due to the prolonged power cuts.
One of the major concerns raised by residents is the lack of responsiveness from the electricity department during power cuts. Complaints go unanswered, and landline connections to site offices become inaccessible during power cuts.
VD Leju points out that this situation is unjust to the taxpayers of the islands, as uninterrupted power supply is a basic necessity that should be provided by the administration. The current crisis can be attributed to poor distribution infrastructure, a lack of visionary policies, and technical and commercial losses.
Leju called for an immediate overhaul of the power generation and distribution systems in the islands. One key solution proposed is connecting the Andaman and Nicobar Islands to the Southern Regional Power Grid through a submarine cable, similar to the CANI submarine OFC project in 2020. Such a connection could revolutionize the islands’ economy, particularly in the wake of the recently inaugurated international airport in Port Blair.
The letter emphasises that addressing the power crisis is essential for the islands’ development, and failure to do so could deter potential industrial growth. Leju called upon the A&N Administration to treat this issue with the utmost seriousness and emphasised the need for a comprehensive study by an expert committee to identify and address the bottlenecks in power generation and distribution.