MSEDCL cracks down on defaulters as power outages continue in summer
MSEDCL has disconnected 25,434 consumers in Pune for unpaid bills amid frequent power outages, affecting over 5 lakh due to tripping issues.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has intensified action against consumers with unpaid power bills in the Pune division amid frequent power outages in the city.
In the last 24 days, the MSEDCL has disconnected power supply to as many as 25,434 customers for non-payment of bills. The total outstanding of domestic, commercial and industrial consumers is ₹88.45 crore with ₹40.09 crore pending in Pune city alone, leading to 10,177 disconnections. In Pimpri-Chinchwad, ₹18.40 crore is unpaid resulting in 7,796 disconnections whereas in rural areas like Ambegaon, Junnar, Maval, Khed, Mulshi, Rajgad and Haveli, ₹29.96 crore is pending leading to 7,461 disconnections. The MSEDCL has urged consumers to clear their dues immediately to avoid further disconnections. At the same time, more than 5 lakh consumers have been affected in the past one month owing to high-voltage transmission lines tripping due to fires near electricity towers as well as overloading in Pune district alone.
Pune has faced four major power outages since February 23, affecting lakhs of consumers. On March 24 at 1.39 pm, the Urse-Chinchwad 220 kV power line tripped increasing the load on the PGCIL Talegaon-Chakan 400 kV line, which activated the Load Trimming Scheme (LTS). This caused power cuts lasting 26 to 39 minutes at Chakan Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) and the nearby areas affecting 800 high-voltage; 4,000 low-voltage; and 35,000 residential and commercial consumers. Another outage occurred on March 22 at 12.44 pm when a fire in Ambegaon (Mulshi taluka) led to tripping in the Pirangut-Kandalgaon 220 kV high voltage line, causing a 43-minute power disruption. This incident affected 90,200 consumers in Hinjewadi, Wakad, Pirangut, Bhukum, Bhugaon, Paud, Mutha Valley and Kolwan Valley including 200 information technology (IT) companies in Hinjewadi. On March 15, a fire near the 400 kV Talegaon substation caused the Talegaon-Lonikand 400 kV tower line to trip, affecting 2.49 lakh consumers in this region. Earlier on February 23, a fire in a sugarcane field near a tower line in Alandi led to the tripping of the MSETCL Lonikand-Talegaon 400 kV line, disrupting power supply to 1.89 lakh consumers in Pimpri-Chinchwad, Chakan MIDC, and Bhosari from 10.09 am to 11.06 am.
Rajendra Pawar, chief engineer of MSEDCL, Pune Circle, said, “We are helpless as the MSETCL (Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited) is facing issues with tripping. We have no explanation for the consumers. Consumers are suffering due to power outages in the summer season.”
Anil Kolap, chief engineer of MSETCL, said that eight tripping incidents have occurred in the Pune region in the last two months. “We have asked people to avoid fires near tower lines, but no one is helping,” he said. Most fires start in remote forest areas where employees cannot be stationed for monitoring purposes, Kolap said. “We are helpless and can only try to spread awareness,” he added.
Civic activist Vivek Velankar criticised the MSEDCL and said, “All employees are busy collecting pending bills. No one is focusing on maintenance and other important electrical work. Companies (MSEDCL and MSETCL) blame technical issues for power tripping and avoid responsibility. But consumers suffer, especially in summer. Consumers have no other option as MSEDCL is the only electricity provider in the Pune region. People are completely dependent on it.”
