Pune: 1.42 Lakh Hit by Electricity Outage After Garbage Fire Destroys Cables; Supply Disrupted in Vishrantwadi, Dhanori, Dighi
Vishrantwadi, 15th April 2025: A major fire sparked by garbage dumped in a stream trench on the Alandi-Kalas Road near Pathan Baba Dargah damaged eight 22 kV power lines of MSEDCL, leading to widespread power outages in parts of Pune, including Vishrantwadi, Dhanori, Lohgaon, Kalas, and Dighi.
The fire broke out around 2.30 am on Tuesday near the GREF Center, where garbage had been consistently dumped over an underground power trench. As the fire intensified, Mahavitaran (MSEDCL) promptly cut off power to prevent further damage. The fire brigade doused the flames by 3 am.
The blaze affected electricity supply to over 1.42 lakh consumers. Mahavitaran began restoration efforts immediately, using alternative systems to resume supply to about 1.15 lakh consumers in Vishrantwadi, Kalas, Dhanori, and Lohgaon by 5 am. However, load limitations on backup lines delayed restoration for around 10,000 low-voltage consumers in Vishrantwadi and Kalas, and another 17,000 in Dighi until the afternoon.
The incident took place under MSEDCL’s Nagar Road division. Officials said continuous dumping of garbage into the stream had created a hazardous situation over time, ultimately leading to the fire and infrastructure damage.
To expedite repairs, MSEDCL deployed six contractors and mobilized a large team, including Nagar Road Division Executive Engineer Ashok Jadhav, Additional Executive Engineer Sharangdhar Kenekar, and Harshit Kumar Wakode. Branch engineers and Janamitra teams also worked on a war footing to restore power.
The damaged sections of the high-voltage lines were replaced, joints were provided, and the entire system was restored by 12.30 pm. Power supply to all affected areas was fully resumed thereafter, MSEDCL stated.
Local residents have raised concerns about unchecked garbage dumping near vital infrastructure and called for preventive measures to avoid similar incidents in the future.
