People who carry out routine household chores at night have also been hit hard amid the uninformed outages.
According to H. Vishnu, a Class X student of St. Mary’s High School, Pattom, the power cuts have disrupted his study schedule, forcing him to spend more time than usual completing or revising lessons. “A break, even if it lasts only for half an hour, will upset the flow and rhythm of studying,” said Mr. Vishnu.
“I have to devote more time to my two children during the night to make them comfortable as they wake up suddenly when the power supply is disrupted,” said Seema Nair, a homemaker in Sreekaryam.
Senior citizens and people with health issues are among those particularly affected, especially due to the sweltering heat and humid conditions in the State. “I had to climb all the steps of my five-storied flat at night after the lift stopped working during the power cut,” said 68-year-old George Mathews, a retired government servant from Pattoor.
Concerns have also been raised over the safety of people, especially women, at night, particularly when street lights are not functioning properly. Even navigating through the bus stand at Thampanoor, in the heart of the city, has become a daunting task at night due to inadequate lighting, said Emily Joy who works at a textile shop in the city. “The prolonged power cuts at regular intervals will come in handy for unscrupulous elements in public spaces,” said Ms. Joy.
Another section badly affected by the power cuts is the migrant and floating community in the city. A majority of them have been relying on induction stoves for cooking amid LPG crisis and absence of gas connections. The power cuts have disrupted their cooking schedules.
“People using induction stoves are now unable to prepare food during the night or have to cook in advance,” said Ahammed Rafiq, a migrant worker from West Bengal.
