Bhopal experienced a widespread power outage for the second time in less than a week as strong winds and rain battered the city on Thursday evening. The storm disrupted electricity supply to more than 2.5 lakh consumers, once again raising questions about the maintenance preparedness of the power distribution company ahead of the monsoon season.
Extent of the Disruption
According to officials, nearly 300 of the city's 512 feeders were either fully or partially affected after the storm and gusty winds damaged electricity infrastructure across several localities. With each feeder catering to a large number of households, more than 60% of the state capital witnessed outages ranging from a few hours to almost the entire night.
While electricity supply resumed in some areas by late evening, many localities continued to face prolonged outages past midnight. Several consumer-level complaints, including snapped local connections and transformer-related faults, continued to be addressed till Friday morning.
Recurring Problem
The disruption comes barely days after a similar spell on May 31 left over half the city without electricity for hours after nearly 300 feeders were hit by thunderstorms and winds reaching speeds of around 70 kmph.
Discom officials attributed the repeated breakdowns to uprooted trees and branches falling on overhead electricity lines spread across the city. Officials also maintained that the first few spells of rain during the monsoon period often trigger faults as dust and salt accumulation on conductors and other infrastructure lead to tripping during moisture-heavy weather conditions. According to them, the situation generally stabilises as the season progresses.
Consumer Frustration
Consumers, however, questioned the effectiveness of year-round maintenance exercises undertaken by the discom. Residents pointed out that scheduled shutdowns affecting dozens of colonies are routinely carried out almost every day in the name of preventive maintenance of supply lines and feeders.
"If power supply collapses every time there is rain or strong wind, then what is the purpose of such frequent maintenance shutdowns?" several residents said, expressing frustration over repeated disruptions during adverse weather.
Discom teams remained deployed across the city through the night to restore supply and clear faults at affected locations.
