Nagpur: Thousands of residents in Futala, Bharat Nagar, and surrounding areas endured nearly 24 hours without electricity after a high-tension underground power cable was damaged during excavation work. The incident has triggered a blame game between civic agencies, while citizens bore the brunt of the disruption.
Power Outage Details
The outage began around 2pm on Monday, with power restored only by 2pm on Tuesday. During the prolonged blackout, residents faced severe inconvenience: water pumps stopped functioning, electrical appliances remained unusable, and commercial establishments suffered losses. Many households were forced to spend an entire night without electricity, while businesses reported disruptions to daily operations.
Residents Demand Accountability
Residents questioned how critical utility infrastructure could be damaged during routine excavation work and demanded accountability from the agencies involved. The incident once again highlighted the risks associated with poor coordination among departments carrying out infrastructure projects in the city.
Blame Game Between Agencies
Congress corporator Abhijeet Jha blamed Orange City Water (OCW) for negligence, alleging that proper precautions were not taken before undertaking excavation. “It is the fundamental responsibility of any executing agency to obtain accurate information about underground power, water, and other utility networks before commencing any work. Unfortunately, OCW has repeatedly demonstrated negligence in the execution of its projects, and the burden of such failures is being borne by the citizens of Nagpur. Because of a single lapse, thousands of residents were left without electricity for nearly 24 hours. This is not merely a technical failure but a serious compromise of public safety and essential services,” he said.
However, the agencies involved have offered conflicting versions of events.
MSEDCL's Statement
MSEDCL spokesperson Yogesh Vitankar said that the power cable was damaged during excavation work carried out by OCW on Monday afternoon. He said the utility faced difficulties in restoring supply because there was no alternate cable available for backfeeding power to the affected area. “There was no cable for backfeeding the power in the area. So we were forced to repair the damaged cable, and the power was finally resumed at 2pm on Tuesday. More than 400 consumers were affected and were without power supply during the period,” said Vitankar.
OCW's Denial
OCW, meanwhile, denied any involvement in the excavation work. In a statement, the company said the Futala storm drain was constructed by NHAI during flyover works and that monsoon cleaning of the drain was being carried out by an NMC-appointed contractor when the cable was damaged. “There was no involvement of the OCW team in that work. OCW always starts with full safety measures, caution tape and barricading,” the statement said.
Citizens Bear the Brunt
While MSEDCL, OCW, and NMC continue to trade blame, residents say the real issue remains the hardship caused to thousands of citizens who were left without power for an entire day due to what appears to be an avoidable lapse.
