Pune: Power cuts in several parts of city due to untimely rainfall

Localities in Pune are facing terrible electricity power cuts and are grappling with situations surrounding it. These are especially occurring in localities like Porwal Road — Lohegaon, Yerawada, Wadgaon Sheri, Kharadi, Tingre Nagar and Bavdhan.

18 April 2024

By Ishika Kumar

Heavy rainfall has been frequently occurring in Pune in the past week. It has been fluctuating, but along with the rain, major issues like water logging and power cuts in electricity have risen. The MSEDCL received numerous calls. Nishikant Raut, PRO of MSEDCL, Pune said that the power outages in the last 2-3 days were due to heavy and unexpected rainfall at night. All complaints have been resolved, with updates given to the complainants. 

Restoration work takes place every Thursday as it is maintenance day. Citizens are notified about the stipulated time frame for the power cut. Technical issues and obstruction by felled trees are checked, as incidents of trees and branches falling on overhead cables are reported to cause power disruptions in areas in and around Pune.

Ajay Agarwal, 46, from Dhanori, opined that the industries and development of residential areas in Dhanori have led to a massive escalation in power failures as it is being diverted. Locals suffer from this, resulting in other problems like water shortage and a rampant increase in traffic over the years. Children suffer the most because they cannot study or play in the summer heat. Working becomes problematic for small offices during daytime and office hours. There is huge dependency and load on inverters and backup generators.

In the coming months, with more construction, these issues will only increase. Citizens had taken their grievances to the MSEDCL, but intervention has been stalled, with the issues promised to be solved only till June, along with a hike in electricity bills every month. Agarwal strongly believes the MSEDCL and private companies are negligent at best.

Manish Deo, an esteemed member of the Bavdhan Citizen Forum (BCF), has been residing in Bavdhan for a long time. For the past 5-6 years, they have been making efforts to install a new substation, but their land is deemed infeasible. According to him, there are two reasons for frequent power outages in the area: moisture in wires due to rainfall and interrupted flow of electricity. He further explains that only 5-10 minutes of unseasonal rain can cause issues like short circuits and firing up of refrigerators, computers and other electronic appliances. There is insufficient power flow, and the struggle for a substation continues. 

From land identification to meetings with PMC officers, efforts have been unsuccessful. Due to almost 1.5 lakh residents, more projects and better distribution of services for uninterrupted electricity flow are integral.

Deo raised the question of metre deposits for newly constructed projects being approved for around Rs. 40,000 — but on what grounds when the supply of electricity flow does not meet demand at all? According to him, the solution is for citizens to demand reservations for substations in their localities, especially Bavdhan. He calls the citizens to take to the roads and organise a protest, conveying the basic right to electricity to the authorities.