Shimla/Chopal:
Five days of darkness, snapped power lines, and blocked roads—this is the grim reality of people in Chopal constituency.
A major blackout has thrown life out of gear after freshly laid the two transmission towers near Deothi of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board (HPSEB) collapsed at its stubb, exposing the poor quality of work executed by the contractor.
Residents say the crisis is worsening by the hour.
Even patients admitted to the civil hospitals in Chopal and Nerwa are battling without power.
Communication lines too remain cut off, leaving people stranded.
Apple Farmers are the hardest hit—the apple crop is rotting in orchards, or in Stores with large-scale dropping reported due to incessant rains.
In Bamta, Over 4,000 root stocks and 500 royal apple plants were washed away in the orchard by the landslide that has inflicteda big blow to the livelihoodsof the farmers.
Adding to the misery, all key link roads—including , Chopal- Shantha- Dewat, Jhiknipul-Bamta-Maumvi, Nerwa-Throach Chopal, Dopti Pabaas Kenchi-Shilgrahan Lastadhar are blocked.
The main Chopal–Shantha-Dewat road is badly damaged at three places.
TheDopti-Pabaas Kanchi-Shilgarahan- Lastadhar are snapped under landslides and uprooted trees.
“Our apples are rotting before our eyes. With no road, no electricity, no communication—we are completely abandoned,” farmers lament.
Amid rising public anger, Chief Minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu has directed HPSEB and PWD officials to immediately restore power supply and roads so that local farmers get some relief and patients in hospitals are not put at risk.
But on the ground, restoration work remains painfully slow due to rains and the blackout has now entered its fifth day.
Locals say the government’s tall claims of preparedness have once again fallen flat in the face of ground reality.
