Heavy Power Cuts Amid Devastating Floods In Ghazipur Pakri Village Leave Residents Terrified Of Snakes In The Dark Residents of Pakri village in Ghazipur's Reotipur block are facing a double crisis as ongoing floods are compounded by prolonged, unannounced power cuts during the night, raising serious safety concerns. Residents of Pakri village in the Reotipur block of Ghazipur district are grappling with an increasingly severe crisis as regular floodwaters and relentless electricity outages strike them simultaneously. Over the past ten to fifteen days, the rural population has been forced to navigate the evening and night hours in pitch darkness, disrupting essential domestic routines, halting educational activities for children, and creating a critical security risk across the flood-affected region. Life Disrupted: Long Hours of Power Outages Amid Rising Waters The severe lack of electricity has thrown daily life completely out of gear. Villagers in Pakri report that the power cuts frequently start in the late afternoon or evening and do not get restored until the middle of the following day. Highlighting this grid failure, a local resident named Rajdev Yadav shared that a recent blackout left the village without electricity for nearly 10 to 12 hours, with power finally being restored only around 2:00 PM the next day. This unpredictable supply makes scheduling basic household chores almost impossible. Another resident, Sunil Yadav, emphasized the dual hardship of managing a flood-like situation while simultaneously facing dark kitchens during peak hours. He explained that power cuts lasting two to three hours routinely occur right when families are preparing their evening meals. According to him, this persistent cycle of power outages has been ongoing for the last couple of weeks. Sunil Yadav pointed out that despite the local community paying their electricity bills on time, they are being deprived of a stable and reliable power supply when they need it most. Darkness Breeds Fear of Venomous Reptiles and Security Threats The nighttime blackouts have also brought severe safety concerns, particularly regarding local wildlife displaced by the rising floodwaters. Anup Rai, another resident of the village, voiced strong criticism against the electricity department's lack of communication, accusing officials of failing to provide clear reasons for the persistent cuts. He noted that power is routinely shut off at the feeder level, typically between 9:00 PM and 11:00 PM, or late at night from 11:00 PM to 1:00 AM. With floodwaters surrounding the residential areas, the absence of streetlights and indoor lighting dramatically increases the risk of encountering venomous snakes, which often seek dry ground inside human habitats. Anup Rai recalled that while villagers could previously rely on traditional oil lanterns or alternative lighting sources, modern households are heavily dependent on electricity for almost all basic operations. The sudden and unannounced blackouts leave families completely vulnerable in the dark. Driven by these safety concerns, Rai has escalated the matter by sending an email complaint directly to the Chief Minister's Office, demanding that the department establish transparent communication regarding the timing and causes of these cuts. The Feeder Overload Dilemma A significant portion of the systemic failure is attributed to the local distribution network's structural design. Anup Rai explained that the electrical feeder designated for Pakri village is incredibly long and also services the broader Reotipur region. This combined distribution route places an immense operational load on a single feeder, resulting in frequent trip-outs and extensive blackouts that impact several surrounding villages. To resolve this, the local community is calling for the Pakri feeder to be bifurcated, suggesting that a separate distribution system be created solely for the Reotipur area. This structural division would significantly reduce the burden on the Pakri line and stabilize the supply. However, the official length of the feeder line, the exact number of connected villages, and the actual load metrics are details that still require verification from the official archives of the electricity department. Official Explanation: Emergency Rostering from Higher Authority When questioned about the agonizing power situation, JE Ashish Yadav clarified that the local administration is acting under directives for emergency rostering. He emphasized that these outages are not planned at the local level or governed by a standard local schedule. Instead, they are executed based on real-time commands and specific operational codes sent down from higher-ups in the power grid hierarchy. According to Ashish Yadav, these directives to implement power cuts arrive at unpredictable evening hours, sometimes at 5:00 PM, 6:00 PM, or 7:00 PM. Once the dispatch center issues the code, the local substation is obligated to shut down supply to manage the severe load pressure on the grid. While acknowledging the immense inconvenience caused to the villagers during this flood season, the JE assured that the local department is actively attempting to manage the load and is in continuous communication with senior officials to secure some relief for the affected villages. Understanding Emergency Rostering and the Path Forward In the terminology of power distribution companies, emergency rostering refers to the temporary and unannounced suspension of electricity to protect the grid from collapsing under heavy technical pressure or excessive consumer load. Unlike scheduled load shedding, these cuts do not follow a set timetable, making them highly disruptive for consumers. To ascertain the exact duration of the blackouts in Pakri and neighboring areas, an official audit of the feeder logs, shutdown registers, and power dispatch data is essential. This data-driven verification will help determine if the actual supply hours match the department's claims or if the rural population is enduring far longer blackouts than officially documented. What this means for you This dual crisis has a direct and severe practical impact on the residents of Ghazipur and electricity consumers across Uttar Pradesh. • In Uttar Pradesh: Systemic issues in rural distribution networks expose the vulnerability of the power grid during natural calamities. Consumers who pay their utility bills on time are left without electricity during crucial hours, forcing them to spend extra on alternative backup power solutions. • In Ghazipur and Flood-Affected Areas: For families navigating floodwaters, nighttime power outages pose an immediate threat to life and safety. Without lighting, residents face an elevated risk of venomous snakebites and cannot safely monitor rising water levels around their homes. Why this happened The severe electricity crisis in Ghazipur's Pakri village stems from a combination of structural distribution flaws and administrative grid management strategies. • Excessive Feeder Overload: The electricity feeder servicing Pakri village is structurally too long and additionally integrated with the larger Reotipur block, causing the load to exceed safe operational limits. • Emergency Rostering Directives: To protect the broader regional grid from overloading, senior officials dispatch sudden emergency rostering codes, forcing local substations to cut power immediately without pre-scheduled warnings. • Calamity-Induced Vulnerability: The ongoing floods have increased the risk of technical damage to the electrical infrastructure, making immediate load management critical to prevent catastrophic short circuits. Questions & Answers 1. What is the primary cause of the electricity crisis in Pakri village? The primary causes are the massive overload on the long Pakri feeder and sudden 'emergency rostering' orders issued by higher grid authorities. 2. What are the safety concerns related to night-time power cuts? Due to the surrounding floodwaters, there is a constant fear of venomous snakes entering homes, and the complete darkness exacerbates safety risks. 3. What explanation did the local electricity department's JE give? JE Ashish Yadav explained that the power cuts are not locally scheduled but are executed under 'emergency rostering' orders from higher-ups to manage grid load. 4. What steps have the villagers taken to resolve this issue? Local resident Anup Rai has escalated the issue by sending an official email complaint directly to the Chief Minister's Office. https://trendkia.com/en/national/barha-ki-vibhishika-ke-bicha-ghazipur-ke-pakri-ganva-men-bhari-bijali-katauti-andhere-men-sanpon-ke-dara-se-pareshana-hue-gramina-31382 TrendKia — Har trend, sabse pehle.