Balewadi, Baner residents demand separate substation for commercial & residential areas, hold protest against power cuts

Pune: Baner and Balewadi residents on Saturday demanded a separate electricity substation for residential and commercial areas to address frequent and prolonged power cuts.

The demand was raised during a protest by around 50 residents in Baner. Sarang Wable, secretary of the Baner, Balewadi and Pashan Residents’ Association, said the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) had already received a land parcel for the substation but failed to develop the required infrastructure. “We are protesting to urge MSEDCL to fulfil our demand,” he said.

An MSEDCL official said work on the substation was currently at the tendering stage. Although the land was allotted in 2024, the power utility has set a timeline of two years to complete the project, the official said.

The residents questioned why MSEDCL continued to approve new commercial power connections when it was unable to ensure adequate supply to existing consumers. During the protest, the participants held lanterns and fire torches while raising slogans against the unplanned power cuts.

Ameya Jagtap, a member of the Baner-Balewadi Nagrik Manch, said the situation has worsened due to repeated damage to underground electricity cables during Metro work, followed by substandard restoration by contractors. “High-tension cables remain exposed in several areas and feeder pillar boxes are placed unsafely on footpaths without proper protection, posing serious public safety risks,” Jagtap said.

Nearly 50 housing societies across Baner, Balewadi and Pashan have submitted written complaints, according to resident Swapna Narayan. She said the residents were now considering escalating the issue to the consumer grievances redressal forum and the electricity ombudsman, if necessary.

Another resident said similar complaints were submitted in 2016, but only a few societies participated and later withdrew, fearing repercussions. Prakash Alhad, another resident, said around 50 families in his locality faced a 27-hour power outage earlier this week. “Many people had to leave their homes as inverters failed to provide backup for such a long duration. I stayed with MSEDCL workers till the repair work was completed, as families could not endure the heat,” he said.

The residents said most housing societies earlier experienced power cuts of two to three hours at least three times a week. The outages, however, have now increased to six to seven hours. Rajendra Suchik, another resident, said this week’s situation was particularly severe, with power cuts lasting over 12 hours in some areas.