In Meritsemo under Bongo Gewog in Chhukha, the monsoon does not just bring rain, it brings darkness. Frequent power outages have become a harsh reality for residents who say the constant blackouts are turning everyday life into a daily struggle.
Villagers say power disruptions have become all too common. Outages often last for hours, and at times, stretch beyond a full day, leaving families in complete darkness and struggling to carry out even the most basic tasks.
People say the recurring blackouts are not just an inconvenience but also impact children’s education and disrupt livelihoods. Without a stable power supply, everyday life in this quiet village has become an ongoing challenge.
“We have to live without light very often. We call our BPC officials when there is a power outage, and he tries his best,” said Namgay. “We share the same line with Getana, so we have to go without electricity even when there are faults in their area. Sometimes we don’t have electricity for days.”
“Power outage issue here is nothing new. Whenever there is something important to do, the electricity goes off. This happens irrespective of whether there is rain or not,” said Kinley, another resident of Meritsemo.
According to Kinley Gyem, frequent power outages make it especially difficult for families with small children.
According to officials from the Bhutan Power Corporation, the outages occur because Meritsemo shares the same feeder line with faraway areas such as Getana and Lhamoidzingkha.
Being a long-distance line, any fault along the route, even in distant locations, results in the shutdown of the power supply while fixing the issue.
Meanwhile, Getana residents have also been facing the same issue for years.
With no plans currently in place to address this issue, communities continue to wait and live in uncertainty.
Kinley Dem
Edited by Yeshi Gyaltshen
