Madurai: Frequent unplanned power cuts lasting anywhere from 30 minutes to nearly five hours have been causing distress to residents in several parts of Madurai, particularly amid the prevailing heat.
areas including K Pudur, Koodal Nagar, Anna Nagar and Surya Nagar have reported additional unscheduled outages and low-voltage problems While residents face a day-long power outage once a month for maintenance. Schools have reported fewer prolonged outages, apart from the scheduled weekly cuts. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Madurai | Silver Rate in Madurai | Bank Holidays in Madurai | Public Holidays in Madurai | Madurai AQI | Weather in Madurai | Petrol Price in Madurai | Diesel Price in Madurai | CNG Price in Madurai | LPG Price in Madurai Stay updated with the latest Madurai news.
In K Pudur, residents said the problem had continued despite protests in early August. Shirajudheen, a resident, said repeated outages in August and September had been particularly difficult for his family, which has a baby. There are also low-voltage issues, with lights flickering in the evenings and fans running at lower speeds,” he said, adding that the fluctuations had started only in the last few months. K Karthik of Surya Nagar said low voltage was a bigger concern than the outages. “In this situation, we are afraid to run heavy appliances like the fridge or the TV for fear of blowing a fuse,” he said. However, Joseph Jayaseelan, headmaster of Sathamangalam Corporation School, said the disruptions affected learning. “The power cut hampers their learning as they lose access to the internet and computers,” he said. “We have many plants and trees outside for the children to take shade in, but this is not the case for many other schools in the city,” he said, requesting that schools either be exempted from maintenance-related power outages or that supply be restored to them earlier. A TANGEDCO official said the intense heat was putting a heavy load on the power system, resulting in fluctuations and disruptions. “Regular maintenance and repairs are being carried out to reduce the impact on the residents,” she said, adding that cooler conditions expected in the coming weeks would reduce the load on the system and disruptions.
“Once power goes, it comes back for a few seconds and then goes off again, for several minutes to an hour. Unplanned outages also disrupt the use of smart boards, which often need to be reset or restarted, while leaving students vulnerable to the heat. Download the TOI App.