The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Power disruption gives people nightmares

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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Power disruption gives people nightmares

Staff Reporter

Residents say power cut started soon after onset of summer

‘Power cuts more during the weekends’
BESCOM, KPTCL officials indulge in blame game

Bangalore: Many parts of the city have been experiencing power cut several times in a day, even as officials of the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) maintain that all is well.

Malathi Vishnu, a resident of Electronics City, said that ever since summer started, power supply had been irregular.

“The power supply is irregular for most part of the day. The only saving grace is that there is no cut in the night,” she said.

She also said that power cuts were more during the weekends.

“Working professionals are the ones who are most affected. They would naturally want to relax during the weekends. The power supply is most irregular on weekends,” she added.

Trishala Gupta, an employee of a private firm and resident of Old Madras Road, said that every morning, there was no power supply for at least an hour.

Hard hit

“I am sure that the power is being cut through the day. However, it is the power shutdown early in the morning that affects us the most, as we all would be getting ready for work. We are crippled without regular power supply,” she said.

The situation in most parts of the city is not very different. Residents of Jayanagar, Girinagar, Hebbal, Thippasandra, Cantonment, Shivajinagar, Miller’s Road all complained about irregular power supply.

Moses Jose, a resident of Miller’s Road, said that he realised the power supply was irregular when he had to take off from work for a week after he fell ill. “I had a very bad time. The officials were not forthcoming when I complained. They said that they could not help as the State did not have enough power,” he said.

Asked about the frequent power cuts in different parts of the city, officials of BESCOM and KPTCL only trade blame.

A senior official of BESCOM said that the power cuts may be attributed to the KPTCL system constraints. “We are forced to manage the situation with whatever power the KPTCL gives us. However, we are not resorting to power shutdown in Bangalore,” he said.

A KPTCL official, on the other hand, maintained that with the recent rains, the State was not facing any power shortage.

“Bangalore will surely not have any system constraints. We aim to provide uninterrupted power supply to all. Power supply depends on how BESCOM manages the show. If the power supply is irregular, it will only speak of BESCOM’s poor management and maintenance,” he added.

While officials of BESCOM and KPTCL continue to play the blame game, it is finally the consumer who has to bear the brunt.

(All names have been changed on request.)

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