Pune: Rain-Triggered Power Outage Leaves Lohegaon, Porwal Road, and Wakad Residents in the Dark

Sumit Singh

Pune, 26th June 2023: Last night, Pune and Pimpri-Chinchwad were hit by a major power outage triggered by heavy rainfall. Numerous localities, including Lohegaon, Porwal Road, and Wakad, have been adversely affected, leaving residents without electricity. The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has assured the public that efforts are underway to swiftly restore power.

Expressing concern over the situation, Jay Patel, a resident of Lohegaon, revealed that the power outage occurred shortly after the onset of rainfall at around 3 am. He emphasized that there has been no electricity in Porwal Road since that time. An MSEDCL spokesperson confirmed that restoration work is currently in progress and reassured residents that electricity will soon be reinstated.

Ajeet Gokhale questioned the city’s preparedness for the monsoon season, criticizing the ensuing traffic chaos, waterlogging, and power failure resulting from a mere day of light rain. Gokhale raised concerns regarding the accountability of the Pune Municipal Corporation (PMC) and the use of taxpayers’ money. He questioned whether such issues would impact the voting decisions of the citizens.

Nishikant Raut, the PRO of Pune MSEDCL, shed light on the cause of the power outage. He explained that damage to the electricity feeder in Lohegaon, with 70% of the repairs already completed and the remaining 30% still underway, has contributed to the disruption. Raut estimated that power would be restored within two hours in the Lohegaon and Porwal Road areas. Additionally, he highlighted ongoing RMU and transformation work in the Wakad area, which is expected to be finalized within approximately one more hour, subsequently allowing for the complete restoration of electricity.

Raut also highlighted the challenges faced by the power distribution company due to PMC’s infrastructure development activities. He pointed out that PMC’s digging and pipeline work often damages underground cables, only manifesting during rainfall and leading to power disruptions.

Meanwhile, a concerned citizen named Aniruddh took to Twitter to express dissatisfaction with MSEDCL’s lack of prior communication regarding the power outage in the Sadashiv Peth area of Pune (PIN: 411030). Aniruddh urged MSEDCL to provide updates on the progress of electricity restoration and requested prompt communication with citizens via a tweet.