Chennai power outages caused by cable damage and overloading, says Minister

Electricity Resources Minister R Nirmalkumar has clarified that recent power disruptions in Chennai were caused by damaged underground cables and substation overloading rather than an electricity shortage. The disruptions followed BSNL repair work near the RK Nagar Stand area that damaged a major power line. While supply was rerouted through the Stanley substation, the increased load caused equipment to overheat and catch fire.

The Minister announced that the electricity utility will lodge a police complaint against BSNL regarding the damage. To prevent future incidents, government agencies, contractors, and private companies will be required to coordinate with the utility before conducting excavation work.

While a decline in wind power generation caused a temporary shortfall, the state of Tamil Nadu is purchasing additional power from external sources. New power purchase agreements are set to meet demand starting October 1. Additionally, a new customer management tool is being developed to help consumers track complaints and applications, with implementation expected within two months.