Diesel Shortage Hits Mobile Services in Manipur

By Sobhapati Samom

Imphal, Nov 7 : The seizure of diesel by the police in their anti-blackmarketing drive in Manipur has seriously affected the mobile services since the last five days.

The cellular service networks of most of the major service providers as a result have virtually collapsed. Aircel, Vodafone, Reliance and Idea mobile phone network users of the State’s 10 lakh mobile users are the most severely affected, according to sources here.

“Functioning of around 30 per cent of the towers have been disturbed as there is no diesel supply,” sources in the Manipur Telecom Diesel Filler Committee (MTFC) which had been providing 30 litres of diesel per day to each of the 700 towers for the six cellular services such as BSNL, Airtel, Aircel,Vodafone,Tata Indicom and Reliance, said.

With the approaching festive season, the situation has become depressing, affecting lakhs of mobile users across the State. “Except BSNL, there is no mobile phone network here”, Etomba, a resident of Ukhrul said.

Manipur had been facing acute shortage of fuel even after the United Naga Council Manipur sponsored 69 day economic blockade on the National Highways was concluded months ago. The situation still remains the same even as it recovers from the economic blockades.

MTFC had reportedly stored around 4,000 litres of diesel for their emergency use in view of the ongoing situation. But police has seized it as part of its anti-blackmarketing drive recently.

Meanwhile, talks are on with the State officials for the restoration of the mobile towers’ functioning. With the arrival of the representatives of the concerned mobile service providers in the State, fuel supply to the mobiles towers has resumed, according to MTFC sources.