CUTTACK: Irate locals on Tuesday laid siege to the city distribution division of CESU at Ranihat here on Tuesday as major parts of the millennium city continued to be without power since Monday’s hailstorm.Patience running out as citizens had to cope with the sweltering weather for the better part of the day, the locals accosted the staff of the CESU division protesting the delay in restoration of power. A mob of around 50 to 60 allegedly damaged some furniture and computers of the office as they gave vent to their anger.The issue was, however, resolved as senior officers of CESU and the police persuaded the angry locals to withdraw with the promise of immediate supply of power to their localities.The hailstorm of Monday afternoon had wreaked havoc on the power supply channels in the city, snapping cables and uprooting poles across localities. Though the CESU city authorities had promised to restore electricity by midnight, it couldn’t be done. By Tuesday morning, there was still a substantial chunk of the city which continued without power. Power supply to the entire city was restored only by the late afternoon.The delay, which forced the people to bear the brunt of the heatwave, frayed tempers in the affected pockets and they marched on to the division office accusing the authorities of being lackadaisical and indifferent to their problems.The authorities, however, refuted the allegations stating that efforts were taken on a war-footing to restore normalcy in electricity supply.“The hailstorm had caused extensive damage to supply systems. Scores of poles were either uprooted or twisted while falling trees had snapped the cables at many places. Work was on round- the-clock to set up new poles and establish connections to the affected parts. We have managed to ensure complete restoration of power to all parts by 3 pm,” Executive Engineer, City Distribution Division, Manoj Das said.
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