“Power utility's call centre number is either busy or keeps ringing”
Every night, when N.K. Satish, a marketing executive, returns to his home in Arumbakkam at 10.30 p.m. after spending an entire day in the heat, he is greeted by flickering lights and lazily rotating fans. Low voltage has left him sleepless over the last week.
Voltage fluctuation in some parts of the city has not only deprived people of their sleep but also made them spend large sums on repairing electrical devices that get repaired. “My computer and air-conditioners were ruined. After returning home, I can't even rest as it is so hot and the fans do not work,” said Mr. Satish.
The situation is similar in parts of Villivakkam, which gets its supply from the ICF sub-station. K. Jesudasan, a resident, said he was not able to run motors or electrical equipment due to voltage fluctuation. “It is impossible to access the power utility's call centre number: 155333. It is either busy or keeps ringing,” he said.
Some parts of Mylapore too face the same problem. “Some nights, I prepare work-related documents from home. But, it becomes very difficult as the lights keep flickering due to voltage fluctuation. Officials of Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) need to do something about the problem,” said S. Balaraman, who stays on Balakrishna Street, Mylapore.
Senior TANGEDCO officials admitted that there was a problem.
“The problem is due to technical reasons. The equipment in sub-stations is also old. The problem will be sorted out as sub-stations and distribution systems will be upgraded with the Rs.3, 000-crore funding from Japan International Cooperation Agency,” said a senior official.
The extensive use of air-conditioners in the city also causes voltage fluctuation. “All the sub-stations are over loaded and there is a dire need to improve the distribution network in the city,” said another senior official.
Keywords: low voltage, power cuts, power outage
The basic problem is pampering the vote banks with freebies at the cost of the tax paying citizens. Offering free electricity to certain sections and illegal power connections to slums will not only ruin the electricity boards but also drive a wedge between the different sections of society.
The Government should also treat the middle class and the well off as its own citizens and treat them with due respect for their hard earned money that translates into taxes for the government.
The normal reason told by EB, all persons in this honorable society
owns A/C and invariably the load is not with standing on the system. We
the residents of ULLAGARAM-PULITHIVAKAM recently added to the CITY CORP
are the worst suffers of low voltage from 8 P.M.to 4 A.M. What is the
purpose served of having full voltage in the after noon hours when only
my family members are enjoying the cool facility . I am totally
surprised when all the so called small scale units, provisions stores
and office is winded up maximum 10 p.m. Then where all the energy goes
, the EB TECHNICAL PERSONS has to explain. Why can all the tall
building housing commercial/shopping activities in areas like T.NAGAR/
OMR/ MT ROAD be shifted to SOLAR POWER,and give the stored energy to
common man. I wish to know whether the VVIP AREAS SUFFER THIS LOW
VOLTAGE.Even the politicians has an answer to this not authorities, as
seldom this problem is not discussed in assembly.Or it is a punishment
for asking basic needs.
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