Mumbai: South Mumbai is grappling with an alarming power crisis, with prolonged outages severely disrupting daily life. Highlighting the gravity of the situation, MLA Rais Shaikh raised the issue in the state assembly, drawing urgent attention to recurring electricity cuts lasting between 8 to 12 hours in key areas such as Mohammad Ali Road, Nagpada, Agripada, and Madanpura.Addressing the House, Shaikh pointed to systemic failures in infrastructure and staffing as the root causes of the crisis. He emphasized that no fresh recruitment of technical staff has taken place since 2011, leaving the system overstretched and ill-equipped to manage growing demand. Furthermore, he noted that much of the underground cabling is decades old, resulting in frequent breakdowns and escalating maintenance challenges.The situation has caused immense hardship to residents, particularly senior citizens, patients, and families who rely heavily on uninterrupted power for essential needs. Shaikh stressed that the outages are not merely an inconvenience but a serious public concern that demands immediate government intervention.Calling for accountability and swift action, the MLA urged the government to hold a detailed discussion in the Assembly and asked the concerned minister to present a concrete, time-bound plan to address the recurring power failures.Meanwhile, officials from BEST (Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport) have acknowledged the issue and announced a Rs 20 crore action plan aimed at reducing outages across its supply areas in South Mumbai. According to officials, the replacement of aging underground cables — some dating back to as early as 1950 — is being carried out on a war footing, with necessary permissions secured from the BMC.So far, nearly 50% of the old cables in BEST distribution zones have been replaced.
