BEST facing heavy power fluctuation in slum pockets

The Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) is grappling issues of power fluctuations and disruptions in several of its supply areas with heavy slums pockets.

Owing to the heavy rains and water-logging on August 29, BEST had switched off electricity to avoid any untoward incident and technical failures at their substations. Sources said since then there have been complaints about the power fluctuations especially in slum pockets where consumers do not disclose electricity load. These areas are Worli, Sion, Dharavi, Antophill and Colaba with slum pockets.

BEST fears that it's the increasing electricity usage that's at the base of the problem. There are cemented porta cabins built one over the other and with the same power cable and meter; people use power guzzling AC and geysers.

"There is a need to strengthen our cable network by replacing the old ones. We will also hold camps at these slum pockets," said Surendrakumar Bagde, General Manager, BEST undertaking. These camps will ask slum dwellers to disclose the electricity load consumed by them so that accordingly substations can be installed.

FIGURES SPEAK

• Colaba-Sion/Mahim has a maximum demand (950 MW in summer and 750 MW during monsoon). Of the 10 lakh power consumers in this area, around 2 lakh fall stay in slum pockets