Power cuts and voltage fluctuations have disrupted trading in Pune’s Market Yard during the festive season, affecting wholesalers, customers, suppliers and transporters in the grocery and dry fruits section, according to traders and the Poona Merchants Chamber.
Traders said they had experienced electricity outages lasting two to three hours a day on average over the past 15 to 20 days. Some reported longer interruptions, with one wholesaler saying power was unavailable for four to six hours on Thursday. The disruptions have affected billing systems, electronic weighing scales, packaging machines and the movement of goods.
Dinesh Seth, a dry fruit and spices wholesaler, said his packaging machine could not operate even when his shop’s inverter was functioning. “Over the last 15-20 days we have had no electricity for 2-3 hours a day on average. Even though I have an inverter, my packaging machine doesn’t work without electricity,” he said.
The festive-season interruptions have also affected businesses that typically increase staffing to manage higher demand. A grocery wholesaler said additional workers had been hired in anticipation of more orders, but power fluctuations had reduced business and left some customers returning without completing their purchases.
Traders also reported damage to electrical equipment. Bharat Bhate, a spices wholesaler, said several machines had been damaged because of fluctuations. “We are very hassled. So many of my equipment and machines have got damaged because of the fluctuations. On Thursday, we didn’t have electricity for 4-6 hours. How can we do business if the line is so bad?” he said.
The Poona Merchants Chamber has repeatedly approached the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) seeking a solution. Its president, Rajendra Bathiya, said the interruptions had brought computers, electronic weighing scales and other equipment to a halt, causing financial losses and wasting customers’ time.
The reported disruption has affected more than lighting and basic shop operations. Market Yard wholesalers depend on uninterrupted power for weighing, packaging, billing and coordinating the movement of goods. Interruptions during a period of increased trading activity can therefore delay transactions across the supply chain, from suppliers and transporters to retail customers.
An additional executive engineer at the fire brigade subdivision attributed the power problems in the area to cable damage linked to ongoing metro and road work. The official said electricity supply had been restored. The statement did not specify the extent of the cable damage, the repair work undertaken or whether further interruptions were expected.
The traders’ complaints place the reliability of utility services alongside the coordination challenges created by simultaneous infrastructure works in a commercially important part of Pune. The Poona Merchants Chamber’s appeal to MSEDCL remains focused on resolving the interruptions and preventing further operational and equipment losses.
