When the Kalpong Hydroelectric Project was reduced to a single 1.2 MW turbine, the Andaman Electricity Department's formal response was to issue a circular rationing power "until May-end." Drinking water in Diglipur now operates on a three-day delivery schedule, which is technically a schedule.
Since April 8, 2026, the Andaman Electricity Department has been officially rationing power across Diglipur in North Andaman — not as an emergency measure, but via a formal circular — because the Kalpong Hydroelectric Project is running on a single turbine producing 1.2 MW, supplemented by diesel generators adding 3.25 MW. The combined output is insufficient for the island's demand. Meanwhile, tap water arrives once every three days, leaving farmers unable to irrigate and residents unable to plan. In neighbouring Baratang Island, a new 500 KVA diesel generator was installed specifically to solve the power shortage — but it cannot run the island at full load, so only half of Baratang gets electricity after dark. Residents of both islands announced protests for May 11. No repair timeline for the hydroelectric plant has been offered, though the rationing circular is very professionally formatted.