CHENNAI: Residents of the Western part of Tiruvottiyur have taken out a candlelight march to the Tangedco section office at Jyothi Nagar in protest against the frequent power cuts in their locality on Saturday.

The western parts of Tiruvottiyur comprise areas like Sathyamurthi Nagar, Jyothi Nagar, Ramanathapuram, Kamaraj Nagar, Brindhavan Nagar, Mullai Nagar and Kargil Nagar were witnessing frequent power cuts in a day.

"Power goes off two to three times in a day. If you call the local Tangecdo office, there is no response for it. If the power goes off in the night time, it is even worse, " complained R Ravikumar, a resident of Sathyamurthi Nagar. He said despite numerous complaints to the Tangedco officials, no action has been taken to address it.

"We suffer the pollution caused by the thermal power stations, but face frequent power cuts, " he lamented.

R Karunanidhi, CPM's North Chennai District Committee member who presided over the protest rally said that for over a year, the assistant engineer post at section offices at Sathangadu and Jyothi Nagar which supplies power to the Tiruvottiyur western parts remaining vacant. "An assistant engineer from Manali New Town is in charge of it. Besides, there are worker shortages to attend to the complaints, " he added.

He said that after the Greater Chennai Corporation carried out stormwater drain construction works, the pillar boxes were damaged in several areas. "The cables were lying on the road and pillar boxes moved to the road but Tangedco has not taken any steps to replace them.

It poses danger to the lives of the local people, " he said, urging the Tangedco to take up the conversion of the overhead cables to underground in the locality at the earliest.

R Jayaraman, municipal councillor of the 4th ward of the corporation demanded thatcandlelight Tangedco provide the fuse off call facility for Sathangadu and Ernavur electricity distribution offices.