Tamil Nadu - Chennai

Load shedding returns?

CHENNAI: Several localities in the city and outskirts are experiencing power cuts since Monday, setting a scare among the residents about Tamil Nadu Electricity Board (TNEB) resorting to load shedding, after the respite of a few weeks.

Though senior officials of TNEB denied that the one-and-half hour power holiday every day for localities in city limits have been reintroduced, residents of many areas say the supply is being disrupted during the timeframe stipulated when load shedding was in force. Complaining that there was no prior announcement by the TNEB, some residents also said that the disruptions were for a longer duration.

G. Premanand, a resident of Purasawalkam, said Subramaniam Street, Sundaram Street, Tana Street and Purasawalkam Tank Road experienced power cut for around one-and-half hours both on Monday and Tuesday from 4.30 p.m. TNEB officials in the area attributed it to tripping of power lines, he added.

Harrington Road, north Villivakkam, comprising Baba Nagar, Srinivasa Nagar and Senthil Nagar, and Jamalia went without power on both the days for a similar duration. Residents of Besant Nagar said they experienced power cuts on Tuesday.

Localities in south Chennai and southern suburbs also went without electricity for one-and-half-hours on the two days.

Quoting local TNEB officials, residents of Velachery, Madipakkam, Tambaram, East Tambaram, Selaiyur, Chromepet and Neelankarai said load shedding had been reintroduced in their areas.

However, residents of suburbs said the power disruption in their areas was not for three hours as was the case during the announced load shedding.

M. Kannan, a resident of Ram Nagar (South), Ullagaram-Puzhithivakkam, said the locality was experiencing power cut for only one-and-a-half hours since Monday. While senior officials deny reintroduction of load shedding, area officials of TNEB admitted that power holiday is back.

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