Mumbai: Several services came to a halt in the financial capital as a grid failure resulted in massive power outages across the megapolis Monday morning.
The exact reason for the failure was not immediately known, but Western Railway and the state-run discom supplying power to the island city, Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport (BEST), blamed the fault on Tata Power.
Disaster control room run by the city civic body said there has been a central grudge failure of Tata Power at Kalwa, a suburb of the city, and it will take up to an hour to restore supply.
In a video statement, Maharashtra’s Power Minister Nitin Raut said maintenance work was on in Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company’s 400 kv Kalwa-Padgha centre when the technical fault happened in circuit number 2, which was taking the entire load at the time.
A major part of Mumbai and Thane has been affected due to this, power will be restored in 30-45 minutes, he said.
Train services haulted
In view of interruption in traction power at 1005 hrs due to grid failure of Tata Power company, services between Churchgate and Borivili are suspended. It shall be resumed as soon as traction power supply is restored, Western Railway tweeted.
Central Railway officials also called it a grid failure which resulted in a stoppage of services.
The electric supply is interrupted due to TATAs incoming electric supply failure, BEST said.
Officials at Tata Power were not immediately available for comment.
Another discom official also said that it is a grid failure and efforts are underway to restore power supply at the earliest with the help of Maharashtra State Electricity Transmission Company and Power Grid Corporation.
The local trains, which are called the lifeline of the megapolis with over 70 lakh commuters daily, currently ferry only essential employees to work places.
Power outages were reported from suburbs like Thane, Panvel, Dombivili and Kalyan as well.
It can be noted that economic activity is limping back to normal in many parts of the country as the COVID-19 unlock process is underway. However, there continue to be many restrictions keeping in mind the need for social distancing and avoiding further infections.
A spokesperson of the Chhatrapati Shivaji International Airport said operations are normal.
It can be noted that the massive power disruption also comes at a time when power has become into an essential commodity to run the severely stretched health infrastructure, including specially-created facilities for COVID-19 patients which have oxygen supply as well.
Stock exchanges functioning normally
Leading stock exchanges BSE and NSE on Monday said said they were functioning normally, amid a major power outage in large parts of Mumbai.
“There is a power failure in south Mumbai. Exchange is working normally. The listing ceremony was concluded successfully for Mazagon Shipbuilders today morning,” a BSE spokesperson said.
The NSE too said it is functioning normally.
Large parts of the financial capital reported a major power outage on Monday morning due to a technical failure.
In a tweet, Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST) said “the electric supply is interrupted due to TATAs incoming electric supply failure”.
Multiple operators, including the state-run BEST, Adani Electricity and Tata Power supply power to the city.