Navi Mumbai Power Crisis: Kamothe Residents Stage Midnight Road Blockade Over Recurring Outages
· Free Press Journal
Kamothe, June 8: Frustrated by recurring power cuts and what they described as inadequate electricity infrastructure, residents of Kamothe staged a midnight road blockade on Saturday, demanding immediate action from the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL).
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Protest triggered by prolonged outage
The protest erupted after a power outage that began around 4 p.m. on Saturday remained unresolved until midnight, leaving large parts of the township without electricity amid soaring temperatures. The disruption came just days after Kamothe experienced a power failure lasting more than 24 hours, further intensifying public anger.
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According to residents, the city's rapid growth has not been matched by corresponding upgrades to the power distribution network. Citizens alleged that MSEDCL has continued to sanction new electricity connections despite the existing infrastructure being incapable of handling the increasing load.
Frequent technical faults, transformer overloads and insufficient maintenance have resulted in regular power interruptions across the node, residents claimed. They also alleged that the Kamothe division of MSEDCL is grappling with a shortage of technical staff, affecting the speed of repairs and restoration work.
'Rasta roko' agitation and demands
As the outage stretched into the night, scores of angry residents gathered outside the MSEDCL office in Kamothe and demanded answers from officials. The situation became tense, prompting authorities to seek police assistance.
The protesters later moved to the main junction near Kamothe Police Station and launched a 'rasta roko' agitation, disrupting traffic for a brief period. The demonstration was led by corporator Vikas Gharat.
Speaking during the protest, Gharat alleged that MSEDCL had failed to strengthen its electricity distribution network despite the rapid expansion of residential complexes in Kamothe.
"New power connections are being issued without assessing the growing demand. If the infrastructure is not upgraded, authorities will have to reconsider granting further connections until the system is strengthened," he said.
Residents also criticised the utility for disconnecting power supply promptly in cases of delayed bill payments while failing to ensure uninterrupted service.
"Electricity bills continue to rise, but the quality of service keeps deteriorating. If the issue is not resolved urgently, public anger may intensify further," said local resident Bapu Javir.
Authorities respond
Following the protest, MLA Prashant Thakur met MSEDCL Executive Engineer A. S. Mane and sought an explanation regarding the recurring outages. Thakur warned that if the power utility fails to address the issue and prevent similar incidents in the future, a larger public agitation could be launched.
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Kamothe Residents Gather Outside Police Station Over Ongoing Power Cuts; Video Goes ViralPolice later intervened and persuaded the protesters to withdraw the blockade after assurances that the concerns would be conveyed to the concerned authorities.
Residents have demanded immediate infrastructure upgrades, installation of additional transformers and adequate staffing to ensure reliable electricity supply in one of Navi Mumbai's fastest-growing residential hubs.
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