Chennai: Every night, Anitha, 32, sits beside her two young children, fanning them by hand so they can sleep through the oppressive heat. With unscheduled power cuts stretching for hours, her home in Tambaram transforms into a stifling environment, leaving the family restless and exhausted. Her ordeal mirrors the growing distress faced by hundreds of residents across the Tambaram Corporation limits.
Prolonged Power Cuts Amid Scorching Temperatures
As summer temperatures cross 40 to 42 degrees Celsius, frequent and prolonged power cuts along with voltage fluctuations over the past week have caused significant inconvenience in areas such as Chitlapakkam, Chromepet, Camp Road, and Ambedkar Colony. Residents report that outages at night now last between two and five hours, disrupting sleep and daily activities. The lack of prior notice about scheduled outages leaves households unprepared, adding to the frustration.
Voltage Fluctuations Damage Appliances
Residents have also raised concerns about voltage fluctuations damaging electrical appliances. T Raghavan, a resident of Chromepet, stated, "On Saturday night, the power supply fluctuated every 20 minutes, and this damaged the circuit board in our air conditioner. Low voltage has been an issue for more than a decade in Chromepet. Necessary action should be taken by the electricity board to fix this at the earliest."
Unpredictable Power Supply in Ambedkar Colony
In Ambedkar Colony, home to nearly 2,000 residents, power supply remains unpredictable. "There is no fixed time for restoration. Sometimes it returns in 15 minutes, but often it takes up to three hours," said M Nalini, a resident. She added that when residents contact the electricity board, no clear explanation is provided. The lack of communication from authorities exacerbates the sense of helplessness among the community.
Calls for Improved Infrastructure and Communication
Residents have urged authorities to improve communication regarding outages and ensure a stable power supply. Although a new substation has been proposed in Hasthinapuram to address demand, the project has not yet moved beyond the planning stage. Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited officials were unavailable for comment. The situation highlights the urgent need for infrastructure upgrades and better service delivery to mitigate the impact of extreme weather conditions on daily life.
