Industries counting on production loss in Pune's Pimpri-Chinchwad due to power outage

New Delhi, Feb 18 (KNN) Representative bodies of the heavily-industrialized Pimpri-Chinchwad-Chakan belt are counting their losses after a recent power outage and seeking accountability from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).

They are demanding a “thorough probe” into the cause of the service interruption.

Though the industry bodies could not provide an exact financial impact for the near-loss of a production day, one observer put the losses at Rs 10-12 crore for the day. 

The observer said most of the impact was borne by the micro, small, and medium-scale units, which run on tight margins and depend on regular cash flows and order fulfillment. Operating a diesel generator was also out of the question due to the length of the outage and the rising cost of the fuel.

Till around noon, 40% of the units were shut due to the power outage. The rest of the units were told by local MSEDCL engineers that their power supply had to be temporarily snapped, as part of an emergency rolling blackout. 

We are suffering a lot due to the outage, said Sandip Belsare, president of the Pimpri Chinchwad Small Industries Association.

The wages paid today went idle because of the power outage. The MSEDCL also could not provide a clear reason for the power outage. The incident must be thoroughly investigated, he added.

There was a major fault in the 400 KV high-tension transmission lines of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company Limited (MSETCL) at Chakan and Lonikand substations which disrupted power supply to the twin cities of Pune and Pimpri Chinchwad. (KNN Bureau)