Pune Power Outage After Civic Digging Damages Underground Supply Cable
A large section of Karvenagar in Pune was plunged into darkness for nearly 12 hours over two consecutive days this week after civic digging operations allegedly severed an underground power cable. Over 10,000 residents across Shahu Colony and adjacent localities were impacted, with nearly 800 residents in Pinak Society left without electricity due to insufficient backup systems.
The disruption has sparked debate over inter-agency coordination and the planning of public works in rapidly urbanising neighbourhoods. While the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) managed to restore power to the majority of households by rerouting supply, authorities acknowledged the lack of contingency infrastructure for certain residential pockets. Officials from MSEDCL claimed they were not notified in advance about the digging operation carried out by the road department. According to engineers from the electricity board, the damaged cable was not only difficult to access but also essential to supplying multiple societies in the area, extending the delay in restoration.The incident unfolded during ongoing road widening works in Karvenagar. Executives from the road department admitted to damaging an MSEDCL cable while shifting a drainage line.
However, they maintained that the work was conducted in the presence of electricity officials. MSEDCL engineers refuted this claim, stating the civic body began excavation using heavy machinery without prior coordination, triggering a major infrastructure fault. Pinak Society residents bore the brunt of the outage due to their location on a feeder that lacks alternate routing. Residents expressed concern over the repeated disruption of essential services due to poor planning and demanded accountability from both agencies. Some complained about the lack of communication during the outage and the absence of emergency relief measures. In response, MSEDCL officials have now announced plans to install a dedicated power supply setup specifically for these societies within the next month.
The goal is to build redundancy into the local grid to prevent prolonged blackouts in the future. Urban planners warn that as Pune grows, decentralised infrastructure and lack of shared utility databases will lead to more frequent service disruptions. With residents relying on electricity not just for comfort but for business, health, and connectivity, such outages impose high social and economic costs. Authorities from both MSEDCL and the Pune civic body are expected to meet in the coming days to formalise a coordination protocol for future excavation works. Meanwhile, residents of Karvenagar await the promised dedicated feeder infrastructure to ensure their power supply remains uninterrupted the next time roads are dug up.
