Still survives without electricity in Modi’s digital age

Wahengbam Rorrkychand
Imphal, Sept 15: Can you imagine a life without electric power supply? It would be hard to imagine spending a day with no light when the sun set.
Langolsabi and Komjao villages of Champo Khangpok, Loktak Lake in Bishnupur district are the good places to experience a life without electricity. It is about 2 hours journey by boat from Ningthoukhong Project in the district.
The fishermen communities of Loktak lake have been settling at different parts of the lake since time immemorial. Even the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi is pushing the country towards giving power to powerless millions, more than 300 households of Langolsabi and Komjao villages are spending their whole live without seeing the illumination of electric bulb at their homes, a villager of Langolsabi told this reporter during a recent visit at the area.
Because of total blackout during nighttime, the fishermen communities who are residing at the middle of the lake are facing numbers of problems. “Life in night is full of uncertainties; no one knows what is being stored for them,” said Oinam Sunita (45) of Komjao village.
With no electricity people of the area have nothing to do at night rather than waiting for sun raise in the morning, she added.
While, Assistant Secretary of All Loktak Lake Area Fishermen’s Union, Manipur (ALLAFUM) said that even the union had reputedly requested the concern authority to provide electricity in the area, there has not been any step from the government to electrify the villages in Loktak Lake.
Some of them purchased solar home lighting system but most of them are depending on Kerosene lamps and candles as the only source of light during nighttime, he added.
He also informed that MANIREDA had given some solar lighting system at subsidized rate to some household few years back but around 80 percent of household are left without lights.
Considering the problems being face by fishermen of the area on daily basis during nighttime, he appealed the state power department and concern authority to take up measures to electrify the villages in the interest of the poor fishing community of Loktak Lake.