Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST) undertaking recorded approximately 7,500 power outage complaints in its supply areas in the island city over the past year, marking an increase from about 6,500 complaints in the previous year. This information was shared by an official during a committee meeting held on Monday.
Pending Faults and Rising Complaints
As of now, 2,500 faults, including numerous cable faults, remain pending for permanent repairs. This comes at a time when BEST has witnessed a sharp surge in outage complaints from its consumers. The official further stated that the burden on the existing fault control and supervisory control system has increased significantly, leading to the decision to establish a new fault control centre at Tardeo-Pathakwadi. This unit is being planned for the D and E civic wards to ensure quicker response times and immediate relief during power cuts.
Cable Replacement Efforts
Officials have stated that work to replace old cables is being carried out on a war footing. So far, around 50% of the cable replacement work has been completed in the island city, including 120 kilometres of extra high-voltage cables. BEST expects the full replacement of old cables in the island city to take another one to two years, a move that officials believe will significantly strengthen power supply reliability.
Areas Affected and Causes
The surge in outages in recent weeks has affected several parts of south and central Mumbai, including Marine Drive, Kalbadevi, Fort, Dadar, Parel, Sion, Antop Hill, and Dharavi. A senior official from the BEST power supply division attributed the rise in faults to multiple factors, including ongoing infrastructure works across the city. Road concretisation and other civic projects have damaged several underground cables, while monsoon-related water ingress could further weaken the network. Since the entire electricity system in the island city is underground, repairs are often complex and time-consuming.
Emergency Response and Staffing Issues
To improve emergency response, BEST currently has 11 emergency vehicles deployed, roughly two per ward, and plans to induct 11 more. In many cases, BEST restores supply through temporary connections after a fault, while permanent repairs remain pending. Officials said delays in obtaining permissions from the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) have held up some repair works.
Staff shortage has emerged as a major challenge, with the workforce dipping to nearly one-third of required levels. BEST has not recruited since 2012, while around 150 employees retire every year. To address this, 84 people will be recruited for the new Tardeo centre. In addition, BEST is recruiting deputy engineers and 686 contractual staff, while also filling vacancies through promotions.
“This reflects growing stress on the city’s ageing underground electricity network,” said a panel member, adding that Mumbai’s island city is grappling with a mounting power infrastructure crisis.
