Two-hour power cuts in Bengaluru arbitrary: D K Shivakumar

Bengaluru: Two days after Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar announced that the city could see two-hour power cuts because of disruption in supply of power from Andhra Pradesh, which has been racked by Cyclone Hudhud, no schedule has been announced for the power cuts in different areas of the city. Residents, especially those in western parts of Bengaluru, suffered on Tuesday morning when there were frequent power cuts between 7 and 8.30.

There were at least five power disruptions, each for about 10-15 minutes. The officials, however, blamed the local factors for power cut. “It started around 7 am and power kept going off and on for the next one-and-a-half hours. Those heading to work and schools were affected the most,” said Mrs. Latha Bhat, a resident of Malleswaram.

“I called the call centre several times and they assured me that power would be restored immediately. I was forced to wait till 9 am for power supply to stabilise before I could resume my household chores,” she said.

An officer from Bescom, who wished not to be named, said that the state is receiving less power from the central grid after Cyclone Hudhud hit Andhra Pradesh.
Also, there has been a drastic reduction in power production in the state’s thermal stations. The situation will continue for a few more days, he said.