Power play turns ugly in Navi Mumbai amid allegations of sabotage by striking MSEDCL staff

A 72-hour strike by power sector unions in Navi Mumbai caused widespread outages, with residents accusing staff of sabotage amid ongoing protests against privatization.

NAVI MUMBAI: As dusk fell over Navi Mumbai on October 9, large parts of the city were plunged into darkness, not because of a technical fault, but as fallout of the statewide protest. A Joint Action Committee (JAC) of seven of 23 labour unions, comprising engineers, officers, and other employees of Mahavitaran (MSEDCL), Mahagenco, and Mahatransco, declared on Wednesday a 72-hour strike starting Thursday, resisting privatisation in Maharashtra.

Power play turns ugly in Navi Mumbai amid allegations of sabotage by striking MSEDCL staff

The fallout from the protest against the proposed entry of private players through parallel licensing, departmental restructuring, manpower cuts, and the denial of pension schemes, and regularization of contract workers in the state’s power sector, had reached Navi Mumbai’s doorstep, where reportedly 80% of the unions participated. Despite official assurances of minimal disruption, the impact on the ground told a different story, one of prolonged hardship, mounting anger, and allegations of deliberate sabotage. The strike was declared illegal under the Maharashtra Essential Services Maintenance Act (MESMA).

An MSEDCL official maintained that “no major disruption” occurred and that “supply was restored within hours.” With junior technical staff absent, senior officials scrambled to form alternative teams, but their lack of familiarity with the local network caused delays. Emergency control rooms were activated in Belapur and Nerul, but residents found the response reactive and inadequate.

Following the withdrawal of the strike in the evening, an MSEDCL official assured that electricity supply was being restored across all affected parts of Navi Mumbai. He said additional technical teams were on standby to address any lingering complaints and that control rooms would continue to monitor the situation closely. Residents in Ghansoli, Airoli, Nerul, Belapur, Seawoods, Vashi, and Turbhe confirmed that power had returned by late evening, though a few societies initially reported minor voltage issues.

In several areas, tempers flared on Friday as residents accused employees of deliberate sabotage. Belapur Sector 15 and its adjoining villages endured nearly 24 hours without power, prompting angry crowds to gather at the local MSEDCL office. “They shut sub-station shutters and disconnected power deliberately,” alleged Poonam Patil, Navi Mumbai Congress President. “We’ve demanded that criminal cases be registered at the CBD Belapur police station. If no action is taken, we will protest. If they want to fight the government, let them cut power to MLAs and ministers—not to the common man.”

Residents across Ghansoli, Airoli, Vashi, Belapur, Nerul, Seawoods, and Turbhe reported outages lasting several hours, voltage fluctuations that damaged appliances, and essential services like lifts and water pumps grinding to a halt. Nerul Sector 21 was among the worst-hit areas. The linemen “shut the supply and took away the handle from the transformer room, which is required to crank up the electric supply,” Former corporator Netra Shirke said. “Even now, all phases are not working—only temporary arrangements have been made. Several societies are still affected. The lifts and water pumps are non-functional. How are elderly citizens expected to climb stairs?” Shirke also cited incidents in Sanpada Sector 23, where protesters removed the fuses and allegedly reversed contractors’ attempts to restore power. “Residents are now having to physically guard transformer locations to prevent further sabotage,” she said. “It is shameful for MSEDCL staff to trouble normal citizens; this is blackmail, and it is unacceptable. There is no one in their offices either, and no one to respond.”

The human cost was evident, as seen in Shiv Parvati Society in Nerul. Lifts across the five-storey buildings housing 225 flats remained non-functional as the three phases were yet to be restored. “Several aged people in our area, some dependent on oxygen machines, are suffering because their equipment is not working. There is no water because the pumps are non-functional,” Vinod Bahal, a resident, said.

In Seawoods, Sector 44 was completely dark, while parts of Sectors 46 and 48 faced partial cuts. Nerul Sector 3 and 6 required urgent intervention, with additional technicians deployed, though complaints continued to pour in since early morning.

In Ghansoli’s Sector 22, power cuts lasting over five hours crippled the water supply and trapped people in elevators. Ramesh Patil from Ghansoli Sector 21 recalled being stuck in a lift for 20 minutes. Airoli’s Sector 5 faced voltage dips that disrupted evening routines, while Turbhe’s industrial zone saw machinery and logistics halted by brief but damaging outages.

October’s humid conditions compounded the misery as children struggled to prepare for exams. Sleepless residents in the city took to social media, posting videos of blacked‑out streets and stalled elevators.