Power woes haunt suburbs

Residents complain of cuts, low voltage

June 15, 2017 12:27 am | Updated 08:22 am IST - CHENNAI

Unscheduled power cuts are adding to the misery of residents in many parts of the city’s southern suburbs, who are already reeling under the sweltering summer heat. Consumers from many parts of Sembakkam and Rajakilpakkam have been complaining of such cuts for a week.

On Tuesday evening, power supply was suspended for nearly three hours in several parts of Chitlapakkam, Madambakkam, Santhoshapuram, Vengaivasal, Sembakkam and Gowrivakkam.

“Tuesday’s unscheduled power cut was a massive one, covering several neighbourhoods, just a day after the Minister for Electricity announced that there was no power cut in the State,” said K. Vasanthi, a bank employee from Santoshapuram.

Residents charged that Fuse of Call offices run by Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) were unresponsive when they called to know the status of the power disruption and when supply would be restored.

Tangedco officials said a power line from Veerapuram near Singaperumalkoil, which carries power to Madambakkam substation, developed a snag near Noothancheri, and it took an hour to rectify that fault.

But it took another 45 minutes to restore power in a phased manner to all the areas.

The officials added that in addition to overheating power cables, transformers too were regularly developing snags due to the load. However, they said such faults were being attended to at the earliest.

Low voltage

Residents in localities, including Urapakkam, Vandalur, Venkatamangalam, Mambakkam and Adhanur, have been complaining of low voltage for several months now. Complaints to Tangedco officials led to a slight improvement, but a permanent solution should be explored, said residents welfare association members from Adhanur.

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