RANCHI: After the Jharkhand High Court asked the state government to refrain from long power cuts unless extremely warranted, the Supreme Court on Friday modified the order and allowed the government to impose temporary power cuts along the routes of Ram Navami processions to prevent electrocutions.A bench comprising Chief Justice Sanjiv Khanna and Justices Sanjay Kumar and KV Viswanathan acknowledged that this safety measure had been followed for over two decades. Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, representing the state government, pointed out that the devotees often carry long flags, which could come into contact with overhead electrical wires, leading to potential hazards. He said the government had adopted a preventive mechanism after about 28 people were electrocuted in April 2000.The Supreme Court instructed the state government to minimise power cuts and restrict them to procession routes. It also mandated an uninterrupted power supply to hospitals.The MD of Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) was directed to submit an undertaking in the HC, ensuring that outages would be brief and essential services would remain unaffected. The court will hear the case again on April 8 to review compliance with its directives.The case emerged after the HC took suo motu cognizance on prolonged power cuts during festival processions in Ranchi on Thursday. The court asked them to explain under which rule the power is being cut for more than 10 long hours when processions are taken out, and what alternative measures are taken for the problems faced by the common people after the power is cut. The court said that electricity is an essential service and its supply cannot be interrupted.Temporary power cuts along procession routes have been a longstanding practice during festivals like Sarhul and Ram Navami in Jharkhand.
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