May 30, 2025

Mumbai's Mumbadevi constituency has been plagued by prolonged power outages recently, prompting MLA Amin Patel to petition the BMC for permission to excavate newly laid cement concrete (CC) roads. Patel highlighted the issue of frequent and lengthy power cuts lasting several days, due to faulty underground electricity cables. The BMC's current policy does not permit digging up CC roads once laid, unless approved by utility agencies beforehand. Patel's request for an exception comes as a response to the use of 'jumpers' by BEST to restore power temporarily, which has led to an increase in short circuit incidents and poses risks during the rainy season. Residents in the constituency have been enduring major power cuts despite timely payment of electricity bills. Patel stressed the necessity of replacing damaged underground power cables with higher capacity ones as the long-term solution to the recurring problem. In response, a BEST official assured the presence of emergency response teams to address crises and provide temporary alternative power supply arrangements until a permanent fix is implemented. The official emphasized compliance with strict standards for road digging, including obtaining proper permissions and assessing utility maps before any cable laying work. While BMC's policy generally restricts excavation of recently concretised CC roads, exceptions can be made in emergency situations or critical public interest cases after careful evaluation. A senior civic official acknowledged the seriousness with which requests to dig CC roads for urgent utility work related to essential services like electricity are considered, noting the prerogative of BMC in granting such permissions.

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Tags: Power outage, Mumbadevi mla, Bmc, Electricity cables,