𝐅𝐫𝐞𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐏𝐨𝐰𝐞𝐫 𝐎𝐮𝐭𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐃𝐢𝐬𝐫𝐮𝐩𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬 𝐢𝐧 𝐒𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐛𝐚𝐲𝐤𝐡𝐚 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐃𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐡𝐚

…𝒓𝒆𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒔 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒂𝒍𝒔 𝒖𝒓𝒈𝒆 𝒊𝒎𝒎𝒆𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒕𝒆 𝒂𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒔 𝒔𝒄𝒉𝒐𝒐𝒍𝒔, 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒍𝒕𝒉 𝒄𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒔, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒈𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒎𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒐𝒇𝒇𝒊𝒄𝒆𝒔 𝒔𝒕𝒓𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒖𝒏𝒓𝒆𝒍𝒊𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒆 𝒆𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒊𝒕𝒚 𝒔𝒖𝒑𝒑𝒍𝒚

By Kezang Choden

Residents of Sangbay and Gakiling Gewogs in Haa Dzongkhag, along with Dophuchen, Denchukha, and Dumtoe Gewogs in Samtse Dzongkhag, have grown increasingly concerned over frequent power outages persisting for more than a decade. According to affected residents, the unreliable electricity supply continues to disrupt daily life and has caused repeated damage to household appliances.

Many had expected improvements following the commissioning of the 18-megawatt Suchhu Hydropower Plant. However, contrary to these hopes, power outages have become more frequent since the plant became operational. This has severely affected public service delivery in these gewogs. Government offices remain handicapped without electricity as most services rely on internet connectivity and the use of IT equipment. Residents report that online services are often unavailable, creating additional difficulties.

Schools in the area are also affected. Teaching and learning activities requiring electricity have come to a standstill, leaving students without access to modern educational resources. Similarly, Public Health Centers face challenges maintaining accurate patient records, as their systems depend on continuous electricity to update and store medical data.

Local residents have raised the issue multiple times with relevant agencies and have discussed it at the Dzongkhag Tshogdu. Despite these efforts, the power situation remains unchanged, leaving communities increasingly frustrated and feeling neglected. Residents are now calling on authorities to take immediate action to ensure reliable and uninterrupted power supply.

Gakiling Gewog Gup Wang Tshering expressed deep concern over the persistent power outages affecting nearly 600 households in two gewogs under Haa Dzongkhag. Despite the completion of the Suchhu Hydropower Plant, which was expected to resolve electricity problems in the region, the situation has reportedly worsened.
“We are unable to provide timely public services due to electricity disruptions. The community had high hopes that the Suchhu Hydro Power Plant would solve our long-standing issue, but unfortunately, the problem has only intensified,” he said.

Alongside the impact on households, the power outages have affected four schools and five Public Health Centers in the gewog. The Gup highlighted that students’ learning has been interrupted as schools struggle to operate without electricity, particularly during class hours that depend on lighting and digital tools.

In the health sector, service delivery is hampered, with cold storage of essential medicines and the functioning of medical equipment becoming unreliable.

Residents, who have endured these issues for over a decade, are increasingly frustrated. Some report that fluctuations in power supply have damaged home appliances, while others fear the continued outages could affect children’s education and access to critical health services.

The gewog administration has raised the issue multiple times with relevant authorities, but a concrete solution remains elusive. As the community continues to face these challenges, there is growing urgency for concerned agencies to take immediate and long-term action to improve the reliability of power supply.

Frequent and sudden power outages are causing major disruptions to teaching and learning at Rangtse Primary School in Haa Dzongkhag, particularly affecting ICT and Eduten classes. Basan Samal, the school’s Administrative Assistant, shared that the situation is making it increasingly difficult for both teachers and students to cover the syllabus on time.
“Since these subjects rely heavily on the availability of electricity to access computers and digital platforms, even short interruptions can result in the loss of valuable instructional time,” he said.

With digital education becoming an essential part of modern learning, the lack of reliable electricity has become a growing concern for schools in remote areas.

At Rangtse Primary School, the integration of ICT and Eduten into the curriculum was aimed at improving students’ digital literacy and numeracy skills. However, power disruptions are making it challenging to achieve these goals.
In addition to classroom difficulties, boarding students face further hardships during outages. Without electricity, students in the hostel struggle to complete homework and revise lessons at night. The school does not allow the use of candles due to fire safety regulations, leaving students with limited or no options for lighting during long hours without power.

Teachers are also affected, as lesson preparations that depend on digital resources become difficult. The school’s ability to conduct interactive sessions and assessments through digital tools is often compromised.

This ongoing issue has raised concerns among the school administration, parents, and students. They are urging the relevant authorities to look into the matter and provide a long-term solution to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, especially in schools where digital learning plays a vital role.

Sonam Dorji, Health Assistant at Dorithasa Public Health Center in Gakiling Gewog, expressed serious concern over frequent and prolonged power outages that are severely affecting the delivery of essential health services.
He shared that one of the biggest challenges they face is the inability to access patient records during power cuts. “All the records are maintained through an online system, and without electricity and internet, we cannot retrieve patient histories or update their medical data,” he said.

The problem extends beyond record-keeping. Sonam Dorji explained that official work, including reporting and correspondence with the dzongkhag health office, is also disrupted. “We are left handicapped during long hours of blackout, as all our systems rely on electricity,” he added.

A more alarming issue relates to the storage of life-saving medicines. The health center uses a freezer to store vaccines and other temperature-sensitive medicines. Frequent outages lasting from a few hours to several days put these critical supplies at risk.

“Vaccines must be stored at a specific temperature. When the power is out for two or three days, we are in a constant state of worry,” he said.

Moreover, power cuts pose risks during emergencies. “Some emergencies require the use of oxygen cylinders and nebulizers, which run on electricity. If a patient in critical condition arrives during an outage, the chances of misfortunes increase,” he said.

Without reliable electricity, the well-being of patients- especially in rural and remote areas- remains at serious risk.
According to the Dorokha BPC Manager, the current power supply for both areas is fed through a single source located in Damdum, which poses several challenges, especially during the monsoon season.

Currently, the transmission line covers a considerable distance, with power injected at Suchhu and evacuated at Damdum through a single line. The line is long and passes through remote and forested areas with limited access.
During summer, heavy rainfall often leads to disturbances caused by falling trees, landslides, and rising river levels.
“There have been frequent incidents of cable blasts and damaged joints due to heavy load and poor accessibility,” the Manager said.

He added that maintenance teams often have to cross swollen rivers on foot to reach damaged sections, as many parts of the line lack road connectivity. This is especially difficult during the monsoon when rivers swell and landslides occur.
He also highlighted that power generated from Suchhu is evacuated through the same distribution line to the Damdum substation, adding further strain to the existing 33kV lines.

In response, BPC has proposed installing a 66kV transmission tower by December this year. Once operational, it is expected to ease the load on the existing line and provide more stable power to both Dungkhags.
The proposed infrastructure aims to minimize outages and reduce the vulnerability of the current system, which has been heavily affected by terrain and weather conditions. The new power line and tower are expected to improve power supply, especially during the critical monsoon months.

Dorokha Dungpa reported that 2,190 households, seven schools, and five Public Health Centers under Dorokha Dungkhag are severely affected by ongoing power outages.
He said that frequent and prolonged electricity disruptions not only impact daily life but also disrupt essential public services and education.

“All government offices in the dungkhag face difficulties delivering timely services, as most official work depends on internet connectivity and digital systems,” he said.

“Without electricity, operations come to a standstill. Staff cannot work on official documents, and service delivery is delayed,” he added.

He also noted that even basic tasks like charging mobile phones become difficult during outages lasting several hours or days. This poses challenges for communication, especially during emergencies.

The dungkhag administration had earlier submitted a formal complaint to BPC, highlighting residents’ challenges. While appreciating BPC’s efforts in responding and providing technical support, Dorokha Dungpa expressed concern that the root cause remains unresolved.

“We understand that the power supply line is overstressed and insufficient to meet current demand, especially during the monsoon when disruptions are frequent,” he said.

He stressed the need for a long-term solution, such as an upgraded dedicated power line, to ensure reliable electricity supply for all residents and public institutions under Dorokha Dungkhag.