Pune: A fire that erupted early this morning in a nullah near the GREF Center on Alandi-Kalas Road caused significant damage to underground power infrastructure, leading to power outages across multiple areas in Pune. The blaze, which began around 2:30 AM, damaged eight 22 kV underground power cables of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL), disrupting electricity supply to over 1.42 lakh consumers.
The nullah, located under MSEDCL’s Nagar Road division, had been subjected to frequent garbage dumping. On this occasion, the accumulated waste caught fire, likely due to spontaneous combustion or other unknown factors. As a safety measure, MSEDCL immediately shut down power to the affected lines. The fire brigade responded quickly and managed to douse the flames by approximately 3 AM.
Following the incident, MSEDCL launched emergency operations to restore power. Alternate supply arrangements were swiftly implemented, and by 5 AM, electricity was restored to around 1.15 lakh consumers in areas including Vishrantwadi, Kalas, Dhanori, and Lohgaon. However, due to capacity limitations and load imbalances, around 10,000 consumers in Vishrantwadi and Kalas, along with 17,000 in Dighi, continued to experience power outages until midday.
To expedite restoration efforts, MSEDCL deployed six contractor teams who worked in coordination with the company’s engineers. Key officials such as Executive Engineer Ashok Jadhav and Additional Executive Engineers Sharangdhar Kenekar and Harshitkumar Wakode led the repair efforts, supported by section engineers and Janmitras. Tasks including cable replacement, jointing, and testing were completed by 12:30 PM, after which full power supply was reinstated to all affected areas.
