Pune: A prolonged power outage from 8 a.m. on Friday brought operations to a halt in over 1,000 companies in the J, S, W, and EL blocks of Bhosari MIDC. Small-scale businesses faced significant losses, with many forced to pay wages to idle workers and bear penalties for missed deliveries to larger companies.
Repeated Outages Cause Major Disruptions
The power outage follows a series of electricity disruptions in the area. On Wednesday, J Block experienced a three-hour outage, while on Thursday, power was intentionally shut down for maintenance work. However, the outage on Friday was unexpected and widespread, leaving businesses struggling to operate.
Some blocks did not regain power until late in the afternoon, with repairs delayed due to a damaged underground power cable near Balajinagar. According to Assistant Engineer R.M. Palkhe of Mahavitaran, the depth and complexity of the cable repair caused extended delays.
Economic Impact on Small-Scale Entrepreneurs
Entrepreneurs reported facing severe financial losses. Sanjay Wable, a small-scale entrepreneur and former municipal councilor, highlighted that major corporations like Bajaj, Telco, and Mahindra impose an 11% penalty for delayed deliveries. “The power outage has caused lakhs of rupees in losses for small businesses,” he stated.
T.P. Rao, an entrepreneur from EL Block, explained the impact on his business: "I had fifty workers sitting idle all day. A consignment of laser-cut sheet metal was due for delivery at 9:30 a.m., but the client got the work done elsewhere, causing an ₹8 lakh loss for my company."
Efforts to Restore Power
Mahavitaran rerouted power to the affected areas in phases starting at 2 p.m., with 95% of companies regaining electricity by 4:30 p.m. Additional Executive Officer Rajesh Bhagat assured that efforts were made to minimize disruptions and restore supply promptly.
Small-scale entrepreneurs, however, continue to raise concerns over the economic impact of repeated outages and demand accountability from Mahavitaran for their losses.