Pune: Electricity Outage in Chakan, Pimpri, Bhosari, Manchar Rural for an Hour after Fire Causes Tripping of 400 KV Tower Line

Pune, 15th March 2025: A major power outage affected nearly 2.49 lakh consumers in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chakan MIDC, Bhosari, and Manchar rural areas on Saturday after a fire caused the Talegaon-Lonikand 400 KV tower line to trip. The outage lasted for about an hour, from 3:05 PM to 4:05 PM.

According to officials, the fire originated outside the Power Grid Corporation of India Limited (PGCIL) 400/220 KV extra-high voltage substation in Talegaon, where an unidentified person set fire to the grass beneath the 400 KV tower line under Adani’s jurisdiction. The resulting smoke and vapors led to the tripping of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company’s 400 KV transmission line, creating a deficit of 346 MW.

To prevent further damage to the power grid, the automatic Load Trimming Scheme (LTS) was activated, cutting off power to 80 high-voltage channels of MSEDCL. This affected power supply from 220 KV extra-high voltage substations in Chakan, Chinchwad, Bhosari, Bridgestone, Theur, and Kathapur, including the 400 KV substation in Chakan operated by MSETCL.

Impact on Consumers

The outage affected a large number of consumers, including:

• Industrial & Commercial Consumers: Around 800 high-voltage and 4,000 low-voltage industrial units in Chakan MIDC and surrounding areas.
• Residential Consumers: About 35,000 households and commercial establishments in Chakan MIDC and nearby villages such as Shindegaon, Savardari, Varale, Vasuli, Yelawadi, Khalumbre, Sangurdi, MIDC Phase 2, Bhamboli, Kuruli, Nanekarwadi, Chimboli, Nighoje, Sara City, Alandi Phata, and Moi.
• Urban Areas: Power cuts affected large parts of Pimpri-Chinchwad, including Bhosari village, Bhosari MIDC, Jai Ganesh Samraj, Kivale, Tathwade, Rahatani, Thergaon, Nigdi, Pradhikaran, Indrayani Nagar, and Nashik Road, along with industrial blocks J, Q, S, EL, and T.
• Rural Areas: Areas such as Manchar, Narayangaon (East), Kesanand, Avhalwadi, Perne, Theur, Vadati, Kunjirwadi, Loni Kalbhor, Soratapwadi, Fursungi, and Uruli Devachi also faced disruptions.

Restoration Efforts

Following the incident, MSETCL engineers and technical teams carried out an emergency inspection of the affected transmission line. The fire was quickly extinguished, and after a thorough check of the tower line, power supply was restored. Officials confirmed that the fire’s smoke contained vapors, which interfered with the transmission line, leading to the tripping.

Authorities have urged residents to avoid setting fires near high-voltage infrastructure to prevent similar incidents in the future.