Even the dead have to suffer because of power cuts in Patna.

A senior advocate of Patna High Court, Birendra Kumar Sinha, found that out when he lost his wife. The aggrieved family, helped by friends and well-wishers, including a couple of serving high court judges, went to the electric crematorium at Bans Ghat to conduct the last rites.

However, at that juncture, the electricity supply snapped and everybody had to wait for around one-and-a-half hours. They were shocked to learn that there was only a single source to supply power to the crematorium. The attendants working there also expressed helplessness.

"There was a sense of disbelief among all of us who were part of the funeral procession," high court advocate Satyavrat Verma told The Telegraph. "We read about civic issues of the city, but were numbed at the extent to which it could deteriorate. People had no choice but to just sit and wait in silence."

Another high court advocate Akashdeep, who was also present, said: "The place was pitch dark and the area is not considered a very safe one. We thought it could have been worse had the body been placed inside the crematorium and electricity gone midway. It would have stopped the cremation and would have been against the cremation norms and rituals."

Akashdeep said the civic administration should arrange for backup in case of power cuts and ensure a special or dedicated electricity supply line for the crematorium.

Most attendants working there shied away from speaking on the matter, but one of them said: "Such power cuts were common in the area during the summer months and there have been instances when cremation was stopped midway."

State energy department officials have been harping that Patna has no scarcity of electricity supply and was receiving 500MW to 560MW during the summer, sufficient for the consumption needs of residents.

Patna Electric Supply Undertaking (Pesu) general manager Dilip Kumar Singh asserted that load shedding is rare in the state capital now and power cuts are mostly due to maintenance and renovation works.

When pointed out that the cremation was delayed because of lack of power, Dilip told The Telegraph that it had happened because of a technical fault in one of the 33KV lines due to which the area was affected.

"It was a rare instance and after learning about the problem at the crematorium, the Bihar State Power Holding Corporation Limited chairman-cum-managing director Pratyaya Amrit had also called me up. We restored power supply in around 45 minutes," Dilip said.

He admitted the crematorium doesn't have a dedicated line for uninterrupted power supply, but said arrangements would be made soon.

"We have decided to provide a dual source of power to the crematorium, from two separate power grid stations at Jakkanpur and Digha," he said. "This will be completed within 15 days and will prevent recurrence of any such thing."