After pre-monsoon showers, parts of Pune buckle under power cuts

Source: indianexpress.com

While the recent pre-monsoon showers came as a relief after the extreme heat faced by Pune residents, the strong winds and lightning strikes have caused several problems in the city, including frequent power cuts. “With most of the software companies in our area, the power cut is turning out to be a huge problem here. The industry is totally dependent on the power supply and without it, no work can be done,” said Sanjeev Tare, who lives in Wakad. “For the last 2-3 days, we have been suffering due to this issue. The power kept coming and going intermittently,” said Tare.

The intermittent power cuts also caused problems in other areas, especially ones which rely on water tankers for their basic needs. As the tankers depend on borewells, which cannot function without electricity, their supply too was affected.

Sarla Williams, a resident of Viman Nagar, said her family was unable to sleep because of the fluctuation in power supply. “I have filed a complaint with the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) several times, but still this problem continues,” she said.

MSEDCL officials, on the other hand, said the matter was not always in their hands. “Most of the power supply cables are fitted underground to ensure safety, but there is a chance that the cables come in contact with water and thus power supply gets affected. Another reason can also be digging of roads for Metro work,” said Sachin Talewar, Chief Engineer, Pune Zone, MSEDCL.

“Usually, registered consumers are informed about issues related to the power supply through text messages,” added Talewar.

Officials have also started a WhatsApp group. “Through the use of technology, we now have an easy and quick way to reach people and we can see positive results,” said Anjali Mone, Assistant Engineer, MSEDCL.