Pune: The power supply to several villages, including Vadgaon Dal, Utrauli, Venwadi, Pombardi, Shirwali, Wathar, Pisavare, and Nandavav, was disrupted early on Monday (August 26) morning due to a fault in the Bhor Rural 22 kV feeder.

The outage was caused by a bamboo tree that had fallen onto the power line across the Nira River. Thanks to the brave efforts of a young man named Shrikant, also known as Bandu Dongre, the power was restored.

The electrical workers from MSEDCL were facing difficulties locating the fault due to continuous rainfall over the past two days. Despite the challenging conditions, employees Nagesh Bandal, Nitin Taru, Sandeep Prachand, and Akshay Shete managed to identify the issue.

A thorny bamboo had fallen on the power line near the Bhatghar Power House, but the heavy release of water from the Bhatghar Dam made reaching the site extremely difficult.

Assistant Executive Engineer Arvind Ambhore, along with retired employee Keshav Bandal, inspected the site and confirmed that the bamboo was blocking the line in a dangerous area submerged by the dam's water release. At this point, Shrikant Dongre, skilled in swimming, volunteered to assist.

With the power supply temporarily shut down, Dongre tied a sickle around his waist, swam through the strong currents, and successfully cut the bamboo after an hour of effort.

His bravery and the commitment of the electrical workers, who worked tirelessly in the heavy rain, ensured the power was restored by 11:30 a.m. The community is praising Dongre and the team for their courageous actions.