Hours-long Outages, Wild Fluctuations Leave Citizens Sleepless Nagpur’s electricity grid, operated by the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL), faced severe strain as the city’s power demand surged to an all-time high of 914 MW on Saturday, with temperatures nearing 45 degrees Celsius. The aging infrastructure could not handle the load, leading to prolonged outages and erratic voltage fluctuations that left residents scrambling for relief. On Sunday night, a transformer failure near Gorewada plunged several neighborhoods into darkness, disrupting power for hours. In Mahesh Nagar, a transformer explosion around midnight triggered a sudden blackout, forcing residents to step onto roads and terraces to escape the sweltering heat. Ceiling fans, air conditioners, and coolers stopped working, leaving homes unbearably hot. Senior citizens, children, and patients were particularly vulnerable, with many unable to endure the heat for more than 10 minutes indoors. Abdullah, a local resident, described the ordeal: “The heat was unbearable. You cannot sit indoors without a fan even for 10 minutes.” MSEDCL technicians worked through the night to restore power, temporarily diverting electricity from nearby feeders. However, the repairs were incomplete by 3:30 a.m., with some areas still facing outages into the morning. Even after power returned around 6:30 a.m. in parts of the city, residents reported severe voltage fluctuations that rendered appliances unusable. Tarannum, a homemaker, recounted the struggle: “When the electricity finally returned, the voltage was fluctuating so badly that the AC would not start.” Children cried throughout the night due to the heat and swarms of mosquitoes, adding to the frustration. Tensions escalated as residents confronted MSEDCL staff over the delayed repairs.#nagpur #misedcl #mate_square #ashok_square
