Hescom helplines fail as power cuts drag on

Hubballi: Several areas in Hubballi and parts of North Karnataka were without power following thunderstorms and gusty winds on Sunday and Monday. The Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (Hescom) allegedly failed to respond effectively to grievances, with many residents claiming they were without power for two to three days.

Tania Hosakeri, a resident of Shivagiri, said the power supply was disrupted on Saturday evening and restored only on Monday morning. “It was cut again on Monday evening due to thunderstorms and resumed only on Wednesday afternoon. Our inverter failed, and the five of us had to stay in a hotel for four days. Helpline numbers were busy round the clock. We managed to register our grievance only at 3am,” she said.

Shopkeepers at Siddeshwar Park said their establishments were without power from Monday afternoon to Tuesday night. “Refrigerators were non-functional, and perishable items like milk, curds, vegetables and meat were spoiled. We also lost customers due to the lack of fans and ACs. The prolonged outage caused major losses,” they said.

Educationist Prof Mahesh Dyavappanavar, a resident of Raghavendra Colony, said power was cut at 3.30pm on Monday and restored at 2am on Wednesday. “Our inverters lasted only a day. Phone batteries drained due to repeated calls to Hescom helplines. We posted our grievance on X, tagging Hescom and senior officials. It was a nightmare,” he said.

Congress functionary Sharanappa Kotigi from Lingaraj Nagar alleged that Hescom officials did not respond to calls or messages. “They failed to update the public or use social media effectively. Hescom has completely failed to manage the situation,” he said.

When contacted, Hescom managing director Vyshali ML admitted there were delays in responding to helpline calls. “Our helpline centre was also affected by fallen trees. We have since streamlined operations. Our staff are in the field restoring supply. As HDMC personnel were clearing debris, restoration work was briefly delayed. We have completed about 95% of the restoration,” she said.

She added that the company is planning to develop an app to enable citizens to register complaints and ensure quicker response.

Helpless lines

Hescom’s WhatsApp number (9480883899) remained unresponsive, while helplines 1912 and 18004251033 kept callers waiting for hours.