Bengaluru Faces Extended Power Outages In North Areas
Residents and businesses in north Bengaluru are facing significant disruptions as a scheduled electricity shutdown is underway this Friday, with supply interruptions expected to last up to seven hours in key neighbourhoods. The outage, stemming from maintenance and equipment upgrades at a critical 66/11 kV substation in Yelahanka, underscores the challenges of maintaining urban energy infrastructure amid growing demand.
The Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. (KPTCL) is undertaking technical upgrades, including the installation of a high-capacity 66 kV isolator and modernization of existing line equipment. According to officials, power must be temporarily disconnected to ensure the safety of engineers and minimise risk during these operations. The outage is expected to impact areas such as Yelahanka New Town, B Sector, CB Sandra, and surrounding residential and institutional zones. Urban planners note that such extended outages, while essential for system reliability, expose vulnerabilities in Bengaluru’s electricity network. “Planned shutdowns in densely populated districts can have cascading effects on commercial activity, small businesses, and essential services,” a senior municipal energy official said. The city’s north region hosts a mix of residential settlements, educational institutions, and emerging industrial clusters, making uninterrupted electricity a critical component of economic resilience.
For households and local businesses, the blackout presents both immediate inconvenience and broader considerations for energy planning. Many residents rely on electric pumps for water, while offices and retail outlets may face operational slowdowns. Experts highlight the importance of integrating distributed renewable energy sources and community-level backup solutions to enhance resilience during such interruptions, aligning with Bengaluru’s wider climate-resilient urban goals. BESCOM (Bangalore Electricity Supply Company) has advised residents to plan for intermittent supply throughout the day and provided helpline numbers for reporting prolonged outages or transformer issues. The utility’s proactive communication, including WhatsApp-enabled grievance registration, reflects efforts to maintain accountability during infrastructure upgrades.
Analysts emphasise that while the short-term disruption is unavoidable, strategic investment in modern substations and smart grid technologies is crucial to reduce future downtime. “As Bengaluru’s population and commercial activities expand, reinforcing substation capacity and deploying predictive maintenance technologies can prevent lengthy outages,” an urban infrastructure consultant observed. The maintenance work highlights the delicate balance cities must maintain between upgrading ageing energy infrastructure and sustaining daily urban life. Looking ahead, municipal authorities are expected to coordinate more targeted shutdowns, improve public awareness, and explore alternative energy solutions to minimise disruption, ensuring that essential urban functions continue even during scheduled power interventions.
