Special Correspondent
Pune : A massive power outage swept through Pune’s IT and industrial belt on Sunday afternoon, following a critical failure in the 220 kV Infosys–Pegasus underground transmission line maintained by MahaTransco. The fault occurred around 2:10 PMbarely an hour after a scheduled maintenance shutdown—bringing normal life and commercial operations to a halt in several parts of the city.
The incident has left 91 high-tension (HT) consumers and over 12,000 low-tension (LT) consumers without power, affecting major tech companies, industrial units, and residential pockets. Areas such as Hinjawadi MIDC, Rajiv Gandhi IT Park, Wipro Circle, Raisoni Park, and Dohler industrial zone plunged into darkness, forcing businesses to either shut down or switch to backup power.
Earlier in the day, MahaTransco had announced a scheduled power cut from 11 AM to 1 PM for routine maintenance on the line. However, during the resumption of supply, a severe fault occurred in the core Infosys Pegasus underground EHV cable. This routine maintenance effort quickly turned into a large-scale infrastructure crisis, exposing vulnerabilities in Pune’s power backbone.
Officials from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd. (MSEDCL) reported that the failure disrupted 25 key 22 kV feeders, cutting off over 63 megawatts of power load from the grid. As a result, vital power infrastructure in Pune’s IT corridor has been severely compromised. While alternate supply routes are being explored to restore power, the process is proving to be complex and time-consuming due to the underground nature of the affected cable.
Emergency response teams from both MSEDCL and MahaTransco have been deployed to trace and isolate the fault. Restoration efforts are underway, but officials admit that the scale of disruption is unprecedented in recent months. Power rerouting and grid balancing are currently being managed manually, with load-shedding initiated in less critical zones to maintain supply in essential areas such as hospitals and data centers.
Industrial associations and IT firms have expressed concern over the economic impact of the disruption. Many companies are now moving to remote working models or delaying operations until power supply is stabilized. The situation is particularly critical, given that the incident occurred just before the start of the workweek.
MSEDCL has urged citizens to remain calm and cooperate with authorities. In a public statement, an official said, “This is one of the most serious technical setbacks we’ve encountered in the recent past. Our teams are on the ground working non-stop. We understand the inconvenience caused to businesses and residents, but safety and system stability are our top priorities.”
Preliminary assessments suggest the fault may have been caused by thermal stress or insulation failure in the cable during post-maintenance switching. A detailed investigation has been launched to identify the exact cause and examine whether standard operating procedures were followed.
As of late evening, partial restoration had been achieved in four areas. However, full normalization is expected to take at least 12 to 18 hours, depending on the complexity of the repair and rerouting.
This incident has reignited concerns about Pune’s aging underground power infrastructure and the need for modernized, fault-tolerant systems in fast-growing urban and tech zones.
