Frequent power disruptions becoming routine affair in Puducherry

Residents irked about unannounced power cuts in Puducherry; official says disruptions are due to minor faults in the supply lines and excess current load and have nothing to do with now-suspended staff strike against power sector privatisation

Power disruptions for short durations have become a routine affair in several parts of Puducherry. 

Such disruptions are unusual in the region although the Electricity Department occasionally schedules power cuts for short and long durations to carry out maintenance work. “In the last one week, power cuts have occurred quite often. Sometimes, power goes off for two to three minutes several times in a day. But on Tuesday, there was no power from around 10 a.m. and power supply resumed only by 2 p. m. There was no scheduled power cuts announced by the department,” Janardhanan, a resident of Lawspet, said. 

People residing in the other parts of town — Muthialpet, Mudaliarpet, Reddiayarpalayam, Gorimedu and rural areas — have also complained of frequent power disruptions. R. Sakthi, a resident of Kirumampakkam village said, frequent disruptions occurred during night hours also. 

“We have not experienced power cuts that frequently. Two days ago, there was a power cut for about an hour in the night. It disturbs the sleep of children and causes inconvenience to elderly persons. Earlier, the department used to make prior announcements about power cuts. That is not happening now a days,“ he said.

T. Shanmugham, Head of the Electricity Department, said the recent disruption has nothing to do with the now-suspended strike by the employees against privatisation of power sector. “All the employees have come for work and the disruptions are due to minor faults in the supply lines, including jumper cuts [joint points of two circuit lines]. It could be because of excess current load. The works are attended on an immediate basis. The recent intermittent showers also resulted in the disruption,” he said. 

Another employee said in certain areas, the power lines are old and could not withstand the overload. The joints get separated very fast. More than half of the systems involved in transmission and distribution are more than 20-years-old, he added.