Rainstorm plunges Guwahati into darkness, uprooted trees obstruct efforts of restoration

Guwahati: Following a severe storm, accompanied by heavy rainfall, that swept through several parts of Assam on Saturday evening, many areas in and around Guwahati experienced power outages on Sunday. Response teams from govt departments faced challenges in restoring normalcy as numerous uprooted trees obstructed their efforts, with intense rain causing significant damage to electricity infrastructure, severely disrupting daily life.

The State Disaster Response Force (SDRF) reported incidents of trees being uprooted from various districts across Assam, including Barpeta, Darrang, Morigaon, Kamrup, Dhubri, Nalbari, Kamrup (Metropolitan) and Nagaon. Fortunately, no loss of life has been reported across the state.

Officials from the Assam Power Distribution Corporation Limited (APDCL) said several electricity poles had been damaged and power lines were snapped during the storm.

They assured that repair work was underway and power would be restored as quickly as possible. "We have already restored the 33 kV power lines, with some areas getting power back. However, work is still ongoing on the 11 kV lines. Currently, teams are working at Chandmari and Garchuk. We anticipate full power restoration by evening," said Ubaidur Rahman Mazumdar, CGM of APDCL, lower Assam division.

Residents endured prolonged power outages throughout the day, significantly impacting their daily routines.

"There has been no power all day, bringing daily chores to a standstill. We are unable to operate water pumps, disrupting our water supply, and we can't wash clothes or carry out other essential household tasks," said Rubi Kakati, a resident of Lachit Nagar.

In Kamrup (Metropolitan) district, over 15 locations in and around the city, experienced widespread disruption as the storm intensified around 7 PM on Saturday. Trees were uprooted in several areas, including Uzan Bazar, near the governor's residence, Ulubari, Panbazar, Bhangagarh, Birubari, Jalukbari and Dharapur.

Also, a blaze was reported from Zoo Road Tiniali, when an APDCL transformer caught fire. However, it was brought under control by department workers present at the site. Another fire had broken out at Rupnagar, near Rupnagar Lower Primary School, after a tree came in contact with a power line.

Reports of tree felling also came from near the new assembly building in Dispur, the CM's residence, Six Mile's VIP Road (Barbari) and the 4th APBn headquarters at Kahilipara.

In the Panikhaiti area, on the city's outskirts, a tree fell on a shop, causing an estimated property damage of Rs 15,000. In another incident at Chandrapur, a tree fell on a parked vehicle, damaging it partially.