3,000 BEST consumers in Dadar, Matunga hit by power outage

Officials said electricity demand in Mumbai has crossed 4,500 MW due to rising temperatures and extensive use of air conditioners in the summer, putting additional pressure on the city’s power infrastructure

MUMBAI: Around 3,000 BEST electricity consumers in the Dadar, Sitladevi and Matunga Road areas faced prolonged power outages on Thursday after a cable fault disrupted supply from the Sitladevi Receiving Substation, amid soaring summer power demand.

Officials said electricity demand in Mumbai has crossed 4,500 MW due to rising temperatures in the summer. (Satish Bate/Hindustan Times)

Officials said electricity demand in Mumbai has crossed 4,500 MW due to rising temperatures and extensive use of air conditioners in the summer, putting additional pressure on the city’s power infrastructure.

The first disruption occurred between 4.30 am and 5.30 am on Thursday, officials said. A second major outage began around 11 am after a fault developed in a 33 KV feeder connected to the Sitladevi Receiving Substation.

“Preliminary information suggests that the cable suffered minor damage during external civil works, which later escalated into a major supply issue,” said a BEST official.

Power utility officials described the situation as critical because of the feeder fault and unusually high electricity demand across the city. Restoration work was initiated in phases from around 3 pm, as engineers attempted load balancing and repairs.

Power supply was gradually restored in affected areas through the evening, with normal supply resuming fully around 9 pm, officials said. Residents in several housing societies and commercial establishments complained of inconvenience due to the long outage, especially during the peak afternoon heat.

Officials said Mumbai’s increasing dependence on cooling systems during summer has significantly pushed up electricity consumption, putting additional stress on ageing power infrastructure. BEST is replacing its old cable network, for which work has begun.