South Mumbai faced a power cut, for the second consecutive day on Monday. Areas including Marine Drive and Nariman Point, were victims of power cuts, after Bombay Electric Supply and Transport Undertaking (BEST) resorted to load-shedding on a rotational basis in these areas due to unabated demand.
On October 16, there was a fire at the incoming 110 KV power cables at BEST’s Backbay Veej Bhavan 110 KV station, which supplies electricity to major south Mumbai localities like Nariman Point, Cuffe Parade, Colaba, Marine Drive and parts of Hutatma Chowk and Ballard Pier. Due to the fire, power supply in these areas were disrupted.
The supply was partly restored by BEST from alternate feeds available at certain areas. Simultaneously BEST and Tata Power did thorough inspection and attempted to restore and recondition one of the cables and associated high voltage switchgear. “BEST along with Tata Power took up immediate diversion of two cables, one to Navy Nagar and another to Colaba to adjacent unaffected Tata Power 220 KV station,” said their press statement.
By 8: 00 pm on Sunday, supply was restored to all areas, other than parts of Colaba, Cuffe Parade and Navy Nagar, which had no feed available till then.
“BEST has completed all the works which can be done under the present circumstances and supply has been restored to all affected receiving stations by 5pm.
Further checking and restoration at downstream level will ensure that full supply to all affected areas will be completely restored by 7pm," the joint statement issued by BEST and Tata Power stated.
BEST has also invited a team of experts from Nissin Electric, Japan, to assess any damage to the specialised gas insulated circuit breakers and suggest necessary remedial actions. BEST and Tata Power would also jointly investigate this incident to ascertain the cause of the fire and undertake steps to avoid such recurrences in future.