CHENNAI: Over 70 residents of TT Block Tamil Nadu Urban Habitat Board (TNUHB) tenements at Sathiamoorthy Nagar in Vyasarpadi staged a protest on Tuesday morning against prolonged power outage and frequent voltage fluctuations in the area. The protesters also blocked the traffic for a brief time.
According to residents, severe power fluctuation began around 8 pm on Monday, followed by a complete outage at 12.40 am on Tuesday. Electricity supply was restored only around 9 am on Tuesday after the residents’ protest.
During the fluctuation, at least six residents, including women and children, were trapped in the elevator. With the absence of lift operators, the residents reached out to Fire and Rescue Services personnel, who rescued them within five minutes.
The residents alleged there was no proper response from Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) officials despite repeated complaints since Monday night.
The protest began around 8 am on Tuesday, during which nearly 20 police personnel were deployed at the spot. The police officials allegedly assured the residents that the issue would be taken up with higher officials, and the power was restored. But, the power supply was disrupted again around 12.24 pm, raising concerns over the absence of a permanent solution.
Speaking to TNIE, a TNEB official said the prolonged power outage from Monday night till Tuesday morning was caused by a cable fault. The official added the power supply was again disconnected at 12.24 pm on Tuesday, with prior notice to residents, to inspect other cables and carry out maintenance work. However, the residents alleged electricity had not been restored even by 7 pm on Tuesday.
KP Anand, a resident, said the locality had been facing low-voltage and power fluctuations for more than a week. “EB workers had been providing only temporary fixes. There is a damaged transformer here which has not been replaced for nearly 1.5 years despite repeated complaints,” he added.
Joan Janet
