[ Indu Chukhu ]
BOGINADI, 24 Nov: The villagers in Jabam Kabuang, Boginadi, Lali and Bor-Hill-mostly Puroik-inhabited villages under Kakoi circle of Papum Pare district-have been without electricity supply to this day. The solar panels issued to the villages in 2019 are no longer functional, as informed by Waru Nakong Yumta, a youth from the village and the art & culture secretary of the All Puroik Students’ Union.
Speaking to this daily, Waru reported that an elephant destroyed a bamboo traditional house on Saturday at 9:10 pm. The house belonged to 60-year-old Da Yakli of Jabam Kabuang village. Waru mentioned that the elderly man lived with his two young children, and the house, which had been under construction by a group of villagers, had not been completed for even a year.
Waru explained, “Had there been electricity, we could have avoided this situation. The wild elephants would not have entered our village if they had seen lights in our homes.” He also mentioned that this was not the first such incident; about three years ago, wild elephants had entered the lone primary school in Boginadi and damaged the school property.
He added, “We have many schoolchildren in the village, and without electricity, the students’ studies are hampered.”
It was also learned that in 2019, around 20 households in the village received solar panels. However, the panels had a validity of 5 years and are no longer in usable condition. Even the school lacks solar facilities, and it is also short of teachers, Waru said.
Waru, who is also a youth leader of the village, highlighted that the lack of electricity has led to the absence of a rice mill in the village, forcing villagers to travel to Assam to grind rice from their fields.
“There are many other issues that need to be addressed by our local MLA,” Waru said. He informed that a representation was submitted to the MLA of 14th Doimukh, Nabam Vivek, on 29 July this year, requesting a solar light panel with an inverter.
The village also lacks basic infrastructure. There is no road access, and during the summer, one has to cross a river to reach the village. Small vehicles, apart from two-wheelers, cannot reach the village due to the absence of a proper road, Waru informed.
The village has only one wooden suspension bridge, which is in deplorable condition and becomes dangerous during heavy rainfall or monsoon.
Ironically, the central government’s Jal Jeevan Mission scheme has not yet reached Jabam Kabuang village, and the village still lacks water facilities.
The village is served by only one Gaon Bura for over 360 villagers.
