BENGALURU: Bengaluru might be in need of a pied piper. Frequent power cuts in the city do not seem to be merely a result of routine maintenance work but a concerted sabotage by a mischief of rats.
Linemen working with the Bangalore Electricity Supply Corporation Limited (Bescom) say they have been coming across numerous instances of rats nibbling on power cables. “Many a time when we open up the ducts we find rats that have been electrocuted. Incidents of rats nibbling upon the wires are on the rise in recent times,” said a lineman working near Palace Grounds.
Another lineman from Nagarbhavi said: “Every time there is a power cut complaint, the first thing we check is if the power line is damaged because of rats. We immediately switch off power supply for a large stretch to ensure there are no untoward incidents and then take up repair works.”
As per Bescom data, a total of 7,367.45 km of high tension underground cables have been added to the network in BESCOM limits from July 2019 till July 15, 2025. Also, 6,707.63 km of low tension underground cables have been added in the same period.
‘Private firms, other agencies damage wires, cables too’
“Wires and cables are also damaged by private firms, individuals and other government agencies that take up digging work. But the menace of rats and rodents is different.
Their population is on the rise in the city and the increasing garbage menace has only made matters worse. This problem is not just limited to areas surrounding restaurants and eateries, but even residential and commercial spaces.
They chew up the wires and then the entire line needs to be replaced as quick fix solutions cannot be done,” the Bescom officials said, adding that the issue has been brought to the notice of the Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) and the Bangalore Solid Waste Management Limited (BSWML), but little has been done about it.
Bescom Managing Director N Shiva Shankara told the TNIE that the issue of rats has been raised by linemen and staffers. “But it is not much. Power cuts are also due to the falling of branches, branches coming into contact with live wires, snapping of transformers because of them being old,” he added.