Nagpur: For residents of Shree Sai Nagari township in Besa, prolonged power cuts have become the new normal. What began as an isolated disruption nearly three months ago has snowballed into a persistent plague, with outages stretching up to 10-12 hours at a time, further aggravated by Nagpur’s intensifying summer heat.The recurring blackouts are reportedly linked to damage to an underground electricity cable during nearby construction work. According to residents, heavy machinery, particularly JCB excavators, had repeatedly struck the cable, disrupting power supply to the area. Despite the frequency of these incidents, locals allege that construction activity has continued without adequate safeguards to protect critical utility infrastructure.With temperatures soaring, the impact on daily life has been severe. Families, including young children and the elderly, are struggling to cope without fans, coolers, or access to regular water supply dependent on electricity. Many residents say the outages have pushed them to a breaking point.“Imagine having no electricity for 12 hours in this scorching heat — that is our everyday reality,” said Nitin Nikhare, a resident of the township. “We have complained multiple times, both orally and in writing, yet no action has been taken. It is nearly impossible to live like this, especially with children at home.”The township society had approached the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) in mid-January, seeking urgent intervention and requesting that the vulnerable electricity phase line be relocated to prevent further damage of the cables.However, over two months later, residents claim there has been little to no progress on the ground.
