So many unscheduled power cuts’

So many unscheduled power cuts’
Deccan Herald

Notwithstanding Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited(Bescom)'s claim that there’s no load shedding, Bangaloreans are suffering from erratic and unscheduled power cuts.

Blame it on summer or the relentless power cuts. Bangaloreans, caught between the two, are already sweating it out.

Even as the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company Limited (Bescom) states that there’s no load shedding, residents in several areas in the City complain of erratic and unscheduled power cuts. In such a desperate situation, people say, the least Bescom could do is to inform them in advance, so that they could prepare themselves for the ordeal. Residents in some areas say that load shedding has become progressively worse from January end.

Mr Venugopal Rao of Langford Town says the frequency of load shedding has increased recently and Mr Mishra, from Cooke Town, complains of a one-hour power cut every evening, on rotation basis, in his area and neighbourhoods.

There are others who say that there’s load shedding at night and the early hours of the morning, and “we’ve to spend sleepless nights because of mosquitoes and the summer heat”.



In denial mode

But Bescom officials maintain that there’s no load shedding in the City. “Only in some small pockets do we restrict the load during peak hours, by cutting the power supply. These are areas where the lines are overloaded.”

But, they’ve a word of ‘consolation’ (or hollow promise): “We are working on strengthening these lines and this will take two months time.” Claims a Bescom official, “80 per cent of Bangalore does not have a power problem”.

Many parents, who have their wards studying for exams, are particularly irked. Savita of Rajajinagar says load-shedding is difficult on her son, a Class III student, who is preparing for his final exams.



Only recourse

Others staying in apartments like Mr Das say, “Our water supply too is affected because of load shedding. We’ve to pump water from borewells to overhead tanks at a particular time but, because of power cuts, we find it difficult. We’ve to depend on water tankers”.

But if Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd is to be believed, only in the event of a “station constraint”, is unscheduled load-shedding resorted to.