Amid heat, transformer catches fire in Guwahati; locals rue APDCL laxity

Guwahati: As the temperature in Guwahati soared as high as 37 degrees celsius, a transformer caught fire at the main B Barooah Road in the city on Monday.

The location where the fire broke out at about 4:30 pm is one of the busiest commercial hubs in the city. To supply electricity to the several commercial complexes and residential buildings around B Barooah Road, there exist only two old and dingy transformers.

Opt out or contact us anytime. See our Privacy Policy

Two fire tenders arrived to douse the flames at the scene almost 30 minutes after the fre started.

Although the fire caused no injuries or casualties, the fire created a commotion among local residents and commuters, causing traffic congestion in parts of Ulubari, B Barooah Road and Guwahati Club.

Highlighting the need for new transformers to replace the older ones in the B Barooah area, several locals pointed out that electricity consumption in the area increases manifold during summer and that the two old transformers can no longer carry the load as the number of buildings has increased exponentially.

Residents claim that they lodged many complaints with the APDCL regarding the replacement of the transformers, but so far no action has been taken. They added that power outages have been frequent this summer.

Dear Reader, Over the past four years, EastMojo revolutionised the coverage of Northeast India through our sharp, impactful, and unbiased overage. And we are not saying this: you, our readers, say so about us. Thanks to you, we have become Northeast India's largest, independent, multimedia digital news platform.Now, we need your help to sustain what you started.We are fiercely protective of our ‘independent’ status and would like to remain so: it helps us provide quality journalism free from biases and agendas. From travelling to the remotest regions to cover various issues to paying local reporters honest wages to encourage them, we spend our money on where it matters.Now, we seek your support in remaining truly independent, unbiased, and objective. We want to show the world that it is possible to cover issues that matter to the people without asking for corporate and/or government support. We can do it without them; we cannot do it without you.Support independent journalism, subscribe to EastMojo.Thank you,Karma PaljorEditor-in-Chief, eastmojo.com

Locals also pointed out that as the PVC used in the electrical cables rises during summers, alternative fire resistant material for the cables should be used, adding that when they report short circuits, APDCL workers only do temporary repair work.

ADVERTISEMENT

CONTINUE READING BELOW

The transformers have been faulty for years now, they said.

Another local alleged that as the electricity board has neglected their complaints and the power outages caused by faulty transformers in the area have been so problematic that local residents have had to fix the transformers on their own every once in awhile.

Also Read | Assam: Environmentalists envisage ‘zero waste village’ near Chandubi lake

Latest Stories