Malda, March 12: The entire Gajole block and parts of Bamongola, Old Malda and Ratua have been going without electricity and water for more than 60 hours after the Gajole sub-station of the West Bengal Power Distribution Company Limited went up in flames on Tuesday midnight.

Sources in the power department said it would take another 48 hours to restore normal supply with two transformers being brought from Calcutta and one from Chanchol.

The superintending engineer of the power distribution company, Amalendu Maity, said work was going on at war-footing. “Our first priority would be to restore the supply in the affected areas. Yesterday, we could supply electricity for some time to Gajole town from our sub-station in Narayanpur. But we have not been able to supply power to the other affected areas till now,” he said.

Gajole town got electricity for about four hours yesterday afternoon, but not at a stretch.

With the areas plunging into darkness, the residents are having to go without regular water supply as well.

The divisional engineer of the power distribution company, Dipak Mandal, said the reason for the fire at the Gajole sub-station, that used to supply nine megawatts of power, was being probed.

According to him, a preliminary report has been sent to the department’s head office in Calcutta and an alert has been issued to all the 13 functional sub-stations in the district to maintain safety standards.

The district has 14 power sub-stations.

With the Higher Secondary examinations starting from March 16, the examinees are having to study under candle light and under the light of lanterns.

“Farmers who cultivate boro paddy are also facing a crisis because they are not being able to irrigate their fields which is crucial while the crop ripens,” said Mondol Murmu, the sabhapati of the Gajole panchayat samiti.

“Gajole town received electricity for sometime yesterday afternoon but in small spells,” he added.

The district secretary of the workers’ union of the power distribution company, Dilip Hore, alleged that none of the 14 sub-stations in the district maintained proper safety standards.

“There is no guarantee that such a fire will not break out elsewhere. Such prolonged power cuts will draw the wrath of the people on our staff,” he said.