Katraj residents face daily power outages
Residents of Katraj are reeling under frequent and prolonged power cuts that have disrupted daily life, triggered internet failures, and forced housing societies to rely heavily on diesel generators, increasing costs and pollution
Residents of Katraj are reeling under frequent and prolonged power cuts that have disrupted daily life, triggered internet failures, and forced housing societies to rely heavily on diesel generators, increasing costs and pollution.
The outages—occurring several times a day and often lasting hours—have particularly affected school and college students, working professionals, the elderly, and patients dependent on electrical medical equipment. Residents have blamed the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for poor maintenance and failure to upgrade infrastructure despite the area’s rapid urban growth.
“It’s become impossible to work from home. There’s no internet, no fan, and devices keep shutting down due to voltage drops. It’s affecting my job performance,” said Devansh Chug of Rajas Society.
Chhaya Patil from Shiva Shambho Nagar echoed the frustration: “We never know when electricity will go off or resume. I can’t use basic appliances like the washing machine or grinder, and even the water supply is delayed because the pump needs power supply.”
Several large housing societies, including Puja Niwas and others in the vicinity, have reported a sharp rise in generator usage to maintain basic services like elevators, water pumps, and lighting in common areas.
“Our diesel expenses have nearly doubled in the last two weeks. Earlier, we used the generator only during rare outages. Now we’re forced to run it multiple times a day, often for over five hours,” said one of the residents from Puja Niwas Society. “This is not sustainable. We need a long-term solution, not patchwork repairs.”
Residents also raised concerns over MSEDCL’s customer service. “Their grievance redressal system is not effective. We don’t get proper responses, and our complaints are ignored,” said a resident.
Sulokshana Gaikwad, another Katraj resident, pointed to the toll on vulnerable groups. “My elderly parents struggle in this heat with no fan or light. My daughter, who is preparing for exams, keeps losing internet mid-lecture. It’s unacceptable,” she said.
The surge in high-rises and ongoing construction has added pressure on the power infrastructure, residents said, resulting in regular system overloads.
Sanjay Ghodake, additional executive engineer, MSEDCL Dhankawdi Division, said the recent outages were mainly due to cable faults caused by PMC’s ongoing development work. “We’ve repaired the faults and restored supply. However, the early arrival of monsoon delayed scheduled maintenance. Moreover, the inclusion of 17 villages into city limits has increased the load on the system,” he said.
Ghodake said that while power is currently being drawn from Nanded City, a ring supply is essential for long-term stability. “Planning is underway, and a new 22/11 KV substation at Dattanagar will help improve incoming supply to the area,” he said.
Despite these assurances, residents demand faster implementation and sustained attention to the growing power demands in Katraj.
