A six-hour power outage across several Hadapsar localities in Pune disrupted homes, work-from-home schedules, lifts, water supply and small businesses during a period of intense October heat, after Maharashtra State Electricity Board officials carried out scheduled maintenance at the 22kV Phursungi substation.
Power supply was shut from 10am to 4pm in Sasanenagar, Sayyednagar, Fursungi, Bhekrainagar, Gaadital, Papdewasti, Gondhalenagar, Satavwadi, Tukai Tekdi, Hinganemala and Kalepadal, among other areas, according to a message issued by MSEB. Residents had been informed about the planned shutdown a day in advance.
The advance notice, however, did not prevent disruption for residents who said the extended interruption was difficult to manage during the afternoon heat. The outage affected household routines and work schedules, while some housing societies reported that inverters also ran out of backup power.
Somnath Mane, additional executive engineer of the Hadapsar division, said the shutdown was required for planned maintenance and service work at the Phursungi Extra High Voltage substation. “This was planned maintenance and service work, as the equipment needed to be repaired and it could not be delayed,” he said.
Mane said the maintenance had to be carried out according to schedule irrespective of the season or demand. He added that the electricity department restored supply through a back feeder and that there were no power cuts apart from a short period when the supply had to be interchanged.
The official said only one feeder had been shut and that the system was able to manage 95% of the load, while the remaining demand could not be supported during the work. He also said messages had been sent to residents under the Hadapsar division and that the department had ensured there were no long-term power supply problems.
Residents disputed the duration and impact of the interruption. Shuva Biswas, a Sasanenagar resident, said her work was disrupted and children at home struggled with the heat from late morning. She said the prolonged outage caused the housing society’s inverter to shut down, affecting lift operations and forcing residents on higher floors, including senior citizens and children, to use the stairs.
Residents also questioned the timing of the planned maintenance, saying the afternoon shutdown increased the hardship caused by the heat. The disruption highlighted the dependence of apartment buildings and households on continuous electricity not only for lighting and cooling, but also for lifts, water systems, home-based work and backup infrastructure.
MSEB said the maintenance was necessary and that power supply had been restored through the back-feeder arrangement. The department’s communication to residents and its handling of the remaining load formed part of the response to the planned shutdown.
