Powerless in Bangalore, and not liking it

Powerless in Bangalore, and not liking it


Students staging a protest in front of the Frazer Town Bescom office on Wednesday
Express News ServiceFirst Published : 12 Mar 2009 04:05:00 AM ISTLast Updated : 12 Mar 2009 08:36:45 AM IST
BANGALORE: It was a nice ‘holi’day which many in the city celebrated with fervour. However, after the initial bash, when most in the northern part of Bangalore returned home to wash off the holi colours, to their dismay, there was no water in the tanks.
The Bescom had announced power cut from 9.30 am to 5.30 pm in north Bangalore on Thursday. However, many people who were caught unawares did not have power to pump water into their tanks even while there was BWSSB supply.
Prahalad, Member of Kalyan Nagar Residents association said, “When the kids returned after celebrating holi, there was no water to bathe in. Even though BWSSB water was available, it could not be pumped into overhead tanks as there was no power.” The residents of Bharathinagar protested in front of Bescom office at Frazer town around 10 am. Almost 200 residents including over a 100 students participated in it.
The industrialists in the city were not too enthused about the festival. According to D Muralidhar, president of FKCCI, “The power cuts are affecting our production planning. The government should accept that there is a shortage and sit with experts from industry and others and chalk out a plan.” Aravindh Bhurji, President of KASSIA said, “Many industries have not been able to meet their export commitments. The condition is pathetic.” He also said that that previous governments are also to be blamed.
The KPTCL held a meeting attended by top officials of all ESCOMs on Wednesday to ‘iron out management issues,’ according to top officials. “The onus is on the ESCOM to manage efficiently within the available power and see to it that customers are not inconvenienced,” said Tushar Girinath, MD, BESCOM. “We have arrived at a protocol are formulating a plan so that the load can be effectively managed.”