Nagpur: Frequent power cuts in the middle of an intense heatwave-like condition have left residents of south-west and south Nagpur frustrated. Some parts of south Nagpur faced a power outage stretching beyond six hours on Saturday, when the temperatures in the city soared to 44.2°C. Also, several localities across south-west Nagpur experienced frequent tripping and multiple short-duration cuts. In areas of South Nagpur, which were without electricity from around 9am to 3pm, residents were forced to endure suffocating conditions indoors as fans and coolers went silent during peak afternoon hours. Erratic power supply in Southwest Nagpur occurred at a time when electricity demand is at its peak, said residents. Officials from MSEDCL attributed the prolonged outage in Balaji Nagar in south Nagpur to ongoing infrastructure work. According to the discom, an aerial bunched (AB) cable was being laid in the area, necessitating a scheduled shutdown. Vishu Misal, a resident of Manewada in south Nagpur, said, “On Saturday, the prolonged power cut disrupted our entire routine. My family and I couldn’t even carry out basic household chores like filling the water tank, as there was no electricity for hours. In this heat, managing without power became extremely difficult.”Another Manewada resident Babulal Meshram alleged, “MSEDCL is clearly cheating citizens by carrying out unannounced load shedding. Electricity is being cut even late at night, and there are multiple short outages during the day, making it unbearable in this extreme heat.”“Consumers were informed in advance and around 125 households were affected. The cable laying was essential as the locality was facing persistent low-voltage issues during night hours,” an official said.Residents argued that such works should not translate into hours of power cuts during extreme weather conditions. Citizens across affected areas alleged that despite repeated assurances, uninterrupted supply remains elusive.MSEDCL, on its part, maintains that the outages are a combination of planned pre-monsoon maintenance and unprecedented load on the system. With soaring temperatures driving up the use of air conditioners, coolers and other appliances, the power network is operating under severe stress, they said. As per officials, works including cable upgrades and load balancing are critical to avoid larger breakdowns, especially before monsoon.The discom also pointed to technical challenges such as overheating transformers, ageing infrastructure and localised faults as contributing factors behind frequent tripping. Field teams are working round-the-clock to address complaints and restore supply at the earliest, it said.Citizens also pointed out that multiple outages were also reported in Civil Lines areas and other parts of the city. With summer now approaching its peak, citizens are demanding better planning, faster execution of works, and above all, a more reliable power supply when it is needed the most.
