MUMBAI: The recurring power outages are turning routine summer discomfort into a serious civic grievance, with residents across the island city and suburbs facing long hours without electricity in sweltering and humid conditions.
On Thursday night, Antop Hill residents were left sleepless due to prolonged power cuts for the second time in a week, while parts of Dadar and Vile Parle West also reported outages. These incidents are part of a wider pattern seen over the past week, with interruptions lasting anywhere between three and 12 hours in areas served by BEST, Adani Electricity and Tata Power.
The reasons cited include cable faults and transformer tripping, but for citizens, the technical explanation offers little relief when fans stop, lifts stall, water pumps fail and mobile phones run out of charge. With Mumbai’s peak electricity demand recently crossing 4,300W, experts point to mounting strain on the distribution network.
What has added to public anger is not only the frequency of outages, but also the delay in restoration and the poor communication from utilities. Many consumers, particularly in BEST supply areas, have complained that helplines remain unreachable during emergencies.
The criticism has forced BEST to announce a monsoon preparedness plan, including a dedicated call centre and temporary staff to attend faults and speed up restoration. BEST officials have acknowledged a manpower shortage in the power supply division, worsened by steady retirements over the years.
Recent outages in Worli, Sion, Marine Drive, and Marine Lines underline how widespread the problem has become. In Worli, a blackout lasted from 1.20am to 6.30am in some pockets, while Sion saw outages stretching up to five hours. For a city that prides itself on being India’s financial capital, such repeated breakdowns expose troubling gaps in infrastructure readiness and consumer service, said a power expert.
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About the Author
Somit Sen, Senior Editor at The Times of India, Mumbai. He covers stories on Power beat in Maharashtra and on Oil & Gas. He also covers RTO, BEST (Mumbai’s public transport buses), transport ministry, Maharashtra State Road Transport Corporation, interstate transport (trucks/tempos) and the fleetcabs.
