PATNA: Electricity supply in the Bihar’s Nawada’s district Kawakol block area has been disrupted for the past month, causing growing anger among the residents. On Saturday, villagers from Farheda blocked Fuldih Chowk to protest the poor electricity supply. The blockade lasted for nearly three hours, completely disrupting traffic.

The protestors also blocked Nawadih Road and the Warsi College Link Road, halting traffic on the Kawakol-Roh main road for about three hours. Police from dial 112 arrived on the scene and attempted to calm the crowd, but the villagers did not heed their attempts. The blockade was finally lifted after officials from the electricity department assured the villagers of proper improvements to the power supply, allowing traffic to resume.

Angry residents raised slogans against the officials of the electricity department. They complained that the block receives electricity for barely one or two hours in 24 hours. Sometimes, electricity is available for only ten or five minutes, and even then, the voltage is so low that submersible pumps cannot start. This has severely affected everything from water supply to businesses and agricultural work.

Recently, villagers had also protested at Fuldih Chowk in Kawakol, and the Badraji market was closed, blocking the road. The market remained shut for two consecutive days. In Kawakol market, businessmen had protested by closing their shops. Despite the efforts, the power supply has not improved, leading to increasing resentment towards the electricity department across various villages in the block. The villagers say that the lack of electricity has disrupted their daily lives, leaving them longing for basic necessities like water.