North Bengaluru areas battle power cuts for 3 months as Metro work damages Bescom cable

Bengaluru: A damaged underground power cable that has remained unrepaired for nearly three months has emerged as a major cause of recurring power cuts and poor power supply quality in parts of north Bengaluru.The damage, caused during BMRCL’s Metro pillar construction work near Pruthvi Theatre on Nagawara Ring Road, has raised questions about the agency’s failure to restore critical power infrastructure despite repeated complaints and requests from Bescom engineers.According to a complaint filed by Bescom engineers with Sampigehalli police stationon June 6, a copy of which was accessed by TOI, a 400 sq mm underground cable belonging to Bescom’s feeder F11 LRB was severely damaged on June 4.“The feeder supplies electricity to Nagawara Residency and surrounding areas. Despite repeated communications seeking restoration, the damaged cable remains unrepaired, forcing Bescom to rely on an alternative feeder that struggles to cope with the increasing load from nearby areas,” a Bescom engineer said.Flagging the operational constraints caused by the damage, Bescom engineers said the fallout extends across a 2-3 km radius, affecting Nagawara Ring Road, parts of Thanisandra Main Road, Manyata Tech Park, Manyata Residency, parts of Rachenahalli and Veeranna Palya.“We have been facing significant operational difficulties in maintaining an uninterrupted power supply to consumers in the affected areas, resulting in inconvenience to the public and potential risks to the power distribution system,” the engineers stated in their complaint.In the meantime, Bescom engineers’ efforts to manage the situation through an alternative feeder have also failed, with the transmission network witnessing an overload due to a surge in power demand.Although the complaint named the BMRCL engineers and contractors allegedly responsible for the damage and disruption to power supply, police did not register an FIR, according to Bescom officials.Bescom estimated the value of the damaged cable and associated assets at Rs 10 lakh, with revenue losses of about Rs 20 lakh. “Despite repeated requests and communications to the BMRCL authorities, no action has been taken so far,” the engineers said in their complaint.Repair held hostage by cost disputeWith the issue dragging on for nearly three months, the standoff between the two govt agencies has left the public caught in the crossfire, forced to endure recurring power cuts. BMRCL engineers said the corporation had initially asked Bescom to repair the cable, with the Metro agency offering to reimburse the expenditure later. Bescom, however, insisted that the contractor responsible for the damage undertake the repair and replacement of the entire cable.“The Bescom engineers refused to carry out the repairs and insisted that our contractor replace the entire damaged cable. Since payment towards repair has not been made to the contractor, the work has not been taken up so far,” BMRCL engineers said.You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Bengaluru | Silver Rate in Bengaluru | Bank Holidays in Bengaluru | Public Holidays in Bengaluru | Bengaluru AQI | Weather in Bengaluru | Petrol Price in Bengaluru | Diesel Price in Bengaluru | CNG Price in Bengaluru | LPG Price in BengaluruStay updated with the latest Bengaluru news. Download the TOI App.