KHARGHAR: Residents across multiple sectors of Kharghar experienced a harrowing period this week, enduring two significant and prolonged power outages that severely disrupted daily life and sparked widespread frustration. The disruptions highlighted existing concerns regarding the robustness of the local power infrastructure. Residents are now questioning the ability of the Kharghar MSEB, and the MSEDCL, on a whole, to handle such situations in the future.

The initial major blackout commenced on Tuesday, June 24th, at approximately 3 PM, and persisted until around 12 PM (noon) on Wednesday, June 25th. This extensive outage specifically affected Sectors 27, 30, 24, 35, 36, 37, and 40, leaving many without essential services. Residents in buildings lacking power backup struggled with non-operational lifts, forcing those on upper floors to contend with arduous climbs. “We’re on the 10th floor, and the kids are exhausted. No lift, no water – it was a nightmare,” recalled Rina Sharma, a resident of Sector 27. Crucially, the lack of electricity rendered water pumps inoperable in several societies, leading to a severe disruption in water supply.

The impact extended significantly to the burgeoning population of home-based workers. Many were left with no alternative but to seek refuge at friends’ or relatives’ homes, or even cafes, to continue their work into the late hours. “I had an important client meeting, but no internet or power. I ended up working from a friend’s place until past midnight just to meet my deadlines,” shared Gaurav Patel, an IT professional, residing in sector 35. Some office-goers, even those typically working from home, opted to head to their physical offices as power remained unrestored in the morning.

Local businesses also bore the brunt of the disruption; many shops were forced to close prematurely due to the absence of power and the corresponding low footfall. Businesses reliant on refrigeration, particularly those selling ice creams, reported considerable losses. “Our ice cream stock just melted away. You can’t sell it once it’s like that. It’s a huge loss for a small business like ours,” lamented Lalit Choudhary, a shop owner in sector 35.

Adding to the residents’ woes, mobile phones, tablets, and laptops quickly drained of battery, leaving many feeling isolated and further compounding the challenges. “My phone died, my laptop died, and I felt completely cut off. The first thing I did when power came back was vent on social media – everyone was doing it!” exclaimed Pallavi Singh, a student, residing at sector 36.

While daily routines were severely impacted for adults, some children received an unexpected day off from school due to the disruption. “Honestly, it was a bit of a chaotic day, but the kids thought it was a fun unexpected holiday. They didn’t have school, so they made the most of it,” said Rekha Gude, a parent, and resident of sector 34.

For many, cooking at home became impractical. While some chose to order food from outside to circumvent domestic hassles, long wait times were common as many restaurants in the affected sectors also grappled with the same power issues. “We just ordered in. Who has the energy to cook without electricity or water? The wait was long, but at least some places had power,” remarked Pooja Raut, a resident of sector 35. A few establishments equipped with total power backup reportedly saw a significant surge in business.

In a perhaps unexpected turn, the extensive darkness led many residents to rediscover the humble candle after a long time. For some, this offered a unique, if involuntary, digital detox. It also became an impromptu period for families to sit together, disconnected from screens, engaging in conversation. “It was not a good thing on the authorities’ part, but frankly, it was kind of a much needed break for many glued to their mobile phones and televisions,” reflected Vishal Prajapati, a local resident, who works as a programmer. “It was a good time to sit back without doing anything, enjoying the small, gentle, yet very important flame of a candle, that kept many houses illuminated that night. It was also a sort of family time as many sat together, without their phones, and talked.”

In a further blow, just hours after the initial restoration, Kharghar experienced a second major power cut. This second outage began around 8 PM on Wednesday, June 25th, and lasted until approximately 3 AM on Thursday, June 26th, forcing residents to endure yet another night of darkness and inconvenience. “Just when we thought it was over, it happened again at 8 PM. It was disheartening to go through another dark night after such a long first one,” shared Deepak Sharma, a resident of sector 34.

The only discernible respite during this period came from the weather. Intermittent rains ensured the atmosphere remained notably cooler than the preceding weeks, preventing the sweltering heat that might have otherwise exacerbated the situation.

Throughout the ordeal, the incident site at the Adhiraj feeder location became a focal point for anxious residents. Crowds gathered, eager for live updates, with many sharing short videos late into the night, documenting the repair efforts. “I went down to the feeder site myself. Everyone was there, sharing videos, just wanting to see some progress. It felt like the whole neighbourhood was waiting together,” described Alok Verma, a resident of sector 30. Some residents, having nowhere else to go due to the widespread power cut, even brought their young children to witness the scene.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) workers were widely commended for their dedication. They reportedly worked on a war footing throughout the night, tirelessly repairing the affected cables despite the intermittent rain. “The workers on the ground were incredible, toiling through the rain. Our appreciation is entirely for them, not for the system that led to this,” commented Mrs. Shetty, a senior resident residing in sector 35.

However, residents collectively voiced strong concerns over what they perceived as the MSEDCL department’s “unpreparedness” in anticipating such large-scale incidents, coupled with an apparent initial confusion regarding the scope of the problem. A significant point of contention was the perceived “unconcerned approach” of the higher management in providing proactive updates, often replying only when explicitly questioned. “It was so frustrating to get the same automated message on X again and again. We wanted real updates, a human to acknowledge our plight, not just copy-pasted templates,” added Varsha Patel, a resident of sector 27. While the efforts of the ground workers were undeniably appreciated, a clear resentment was directed towards the strategic oversight and communication of those responsible for planning and preparing for such critical infrastructure failures.

LocalPress View:

The series of disruptions has left many Kharghar residents demanding greater accountability and proactive measures from MSEDCL’s management. While acknowledging the on-ground efforts of the repair teams, the collective sentiment points towards a need for improved infrastructure resilience and transparent communication channels to prevent such widespread inconveniences in the future.