Monsoon clouds loom over the coast of Mumbai on Tuesday. (AP)Mumbai’s satellite towns were plunged into darkness after the rains on Monday night disrupted power supply. While supply was restored in some places after the rains stopped, several areas in Thane and Navi Mumbai faced intermittent power cuts on Tuesday.
According to MSEDCL officials, close to 15 high-tension towers were uprooted in the Thane region disrupting power supply in Dombivali, Kalyan, Shahapur and nearby areas. “There was no electricity in our area for more than eight hours. Even after supply was restored, there was low voltage for half the day on Tuesday,” said Vishwas Nagar, a resident of Dombivali.
“After the rains stopped, electricity supply was restored but went away again in the morning. It has been six hours since then and there is no power supply,” said Sanchit Salunkhe, a shopkeeper from Vishnu Nagar in Dombivali.
In Panvel in Navi Mumbai, power supply was disrupted after a tree fell on the main supply line on Monday night. In Airoli, Koparkhairane and other areas, supply remained disrupted on Tuesday morning, with parts of Airoli experiencing power cuts for more than 15 hours. “What is the point of the electricity department’s preparations if a little rain leads to hours of power cut. Why do we pay bills and maintenance charges when we don’t have power supply when it is needed the most,” said Govind Sharma, a resident of Airoli.
Sharma, who lives in Sector 9, claimed the supply has been erratic since Sunday and after it rained, the entire area had no electricity for over 15 hours. “We have made several calls to the authorities to complain about the disruption but no one picks up,” he said.
According to MSEDCL spokesperson Vishwajeet Bhosale, power supply was disrupted due to technical reasons following the rain. “Whenever there is a sudden change in temperature, power lines become vulnerable. In certain situations, the supply lines trip because of that. In other situations, like in Panvel, a tree crashed, which was an unforeseen event. We are prepared for the rains and such power cuts will not happen henceforth. For chronically affected areas, like Airoli, we are working on the underground lines so that the issue can be permanently fixed,” he said. “For rain-related supply disruptions, we have started specific hotlines where people can file their complaints by calling the numbers. They are available on our websites,” he added.
