Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar
A major power outage lasting nearly 20 hours disrupted operations of several small-scale industrial units in the Ranjangaon and Bankarwadi areas, located near MIDC Waluj, after a newly installed transformer developed a technical fault.
The unexpected disruption brought production to a standstill, causing significant losses to local entrepreneurs. Angered by the prolonged outage, around 15 affected industrialists rushed to the Waluj office of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) on Monday morning. The power supply was finally restored around 12.30 pm after urgent repair work was completed.
Due to limited plot availability within Waluj MIDC, several small-scale industries have been set up in nearby zones like Ranjangaon and Bankarwadi. However, these areas were initially serviced with low-capacity transformers by MSEDCL, resulting in frequent power interruptions. Following repeated complaints and efforts by the Marathwada Association of Small-Scale Industries and Agriculture (Massia), the older 5 MVA transformer was recently replaced with a higher-capacity 10 MVA unit. Despite the upgrade, the new transformer reportedly developed a “bubble” fault, leading to power disruption on Sunday. While repair work continued through the night, power supply remained cut off again on Monday morning. With no prior notification of the outage, affected entrepreneurs expressed strong displeasure during their visit to the MSEDCL office. They later met with Massia president Arjun Gaikwad and vice president Rahul Mogle, who immediately escalated the matter to senior MSEDCL officials. Acting on the concerns, the officials expedited the repair process, restoring electricity supply by early afternoon.