ELECTRICITY, WATER SUPPLY AFFECTED IN PARTS OF THANE

THANE: Shahad, Murbad, Ulhasnagar, Ambernath and Badlapur areas witnessed power cuts for more than 30 hours due to the gusty winds and rainfall caused by Cyclone Tauktae. Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) officials said the overhead wires in these areas make it difficult to provide continuous power supply during bad weather. Water supply has also been affected in many areas of Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) due to lack of power supply.

MSEDCL officials said they received more than 150 calls regarding fallen electricity poles and trees falling on electric wires in Ambernath, Badlapur and Murbad areas. A team of electricity board officials have been working round the clock from Sunday evening to Monday night to resolve the issues.

Anil Kamble, public relation officer of MSEDCL, said, “We have been getting so many calls about fallen electric wires and poles due to the heavy wind. Wind pressure is so high that even if we repair the wire and pole, they break again within a few hours. There is tremendous pressure on the team owing to the current situation and we are working round the clock. The disaster management team has small manpower therefore it is taking time to remove fallen trees from wires and poles.”

Several houses were also damaged. Sunil Burman, a resident of Ambernath (East), said, “We do not have electricity from Sunday evening and do not even have water also. All of us have called water tanker for a day. Every year Badlapur, Ambernath and Murbad areas face electricity issues as most of electric poles or wires are affected.”

An MSEDCL official said, “Electric wires in these areas are all overhead wires. Taking the cables underground is a huge process, for which we are not getting funds. We have been requesting the authorities to sanction the same, but the process has been delayed further due to the pandemic.”

As electricity supply stopped in Shahad, water supply was affected within the jurisdiction of the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC). A senior official from TMC’S water department said, “Due to electricity supply issues in stem water distribution facility, we could not supply water for some hours on Monday. Although it was restored within a few hours, an overall impact in the flow of the water will be noticed for the next 24 hours.”