PERAMBALUR: Frequent and unannounced power cuts, especially during nights, have become a major
issue for residents of Perambalur district in the past two weeks. Students appearing for Class X and XII exams have said that they are unable to sleep and it affects their performance.
According to data, Perambalur has been recording 100 degrees fahrenheit for more than 20 days. The Mercury rose to 107 degrees on May 1 and 106 degrees on May 2.
Over two weeks, residents of Perambalur town, Palayam, Ammapalayam, Kurumbapalayam, Mangoon, Echampatti, Valikandapuram and surrounding areas have been complaining of unscheduled power cuts every day, especially at midnight.
S Anthony, a resident of Palayam, said, "Around 11:55 pm on Monday, power supply to my village and surrounding areas got cut. It came back only at 8 am on Tuesday. I called TNEB's number and they said the supply was disrupted owing to heavy wind. My daughter is appearing for Class 12 exams. Frequent power cuts are making her tired. The searing heat makes it impossible for us to sit indoors without AC or fan. The authorities must realise our plight and ensure that such outages do not happen."
R Velladurai of Ammapalayam said, "The sudden power cuts affect electrical appliances in our house. Outages are forcing us to spend the night in front of our house or on the terrace. It is unsafe for women and girls to sleep outside the house. Power cuts last about three hours every day. They are mostly between 2
am and 4.30 am. Poor voltage supply makes it difficult to operate electrical appliances."
When contacted, a senior TNEB official from Perambalur said, "Electric poles were damaged in some places by heavy wind on Monday, and we disconnected power supply. But, we do not cut off power on other days."