Rains force REL to switch off power supply in suburbs

MUMBAI: It was an eerie, nightmarish throwback to the horrors of 26/7 for many Mumbai residents as surging water levels caused an electricity shutdown in many parts of the city. Thousands of households and commercial establishments went without electricity after Reliance Energy (REL) was forced to take precautionary measures and switch off power supply in suburbs where water level had risen by 1-2 ft.

REL officials said they had to resort to safety shutdown at parts of Andheri (E), Malad, Goregoan (W), Kandivali (E), Santacruz and Borivali. “We had received several requests from concerned consumers and civic authorities to shut down electricity supply as a precautionary measure. Supply is expected to be restored as soon as water level starts receding,” an REL spokesperson said.

A late evening statement from the company said that power supply has been restored in many sub-stations as water levels had started receding. “Of the 578 subs-stations where power has been switched off, supply has been restored to 529 sub-stations,” the statement added.

Continuous heavy rains for the third consecutive day has caused water logging in various places, the official added. High tide during the day had prevented water levels from receding. Water could not be pumped out because of the lack of electricity supply.

A similar situation had arisen last year when REL had switched off supply due to rising water levels forcing many neighbourhoods to live in darkness for days. "We have prepared adequate relief teams and equipment to tackle any contingency," said the REL spokesperson.

Tata Power, which supplies power to REL and BEST and 33,000-odd consumers in Mumbai, said the supply has been normal, and that they had not resorted to any shutdowns.

Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company — earlier part of the state electricity board (MSEB), which is supplying electricity to the entire state except Mumbai — is facing a lot of power disruptions across the state. It has switched off supply in Thane, Bhandup, Navi Mumbai and Panvel. At some places, the disruption is because of the breakdown in power transformers.