Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM) announced a series of scheduled power disruptions in important parts of Bengaluru over the weekend. South and East Bengaluru residents should brace for the utility giant running critical infrastructure upgrades on Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18.
The blackouts are scheduled to take place between 10:00 a.m. and 4:00 p.m. Namely, there is nothing in the range of 2-6 hours for the flow of power. This maintenance work, BESCOM said, is part of a plan to limit unsafe power losses and improve reliability and safety of the city grid, focusing both on transformer overhauls, feeder repairs and replacing existing poles.
List of Affected Areas
Maintenance will revolve around the city’s technology and residential roads. Although they don’t regularly run out of power on every street across, residents should expect sporadic cuts.
South Bengaluru Localities:
- Bommanahalli
- HSR Layout
- Kudlu and Jakkasandra
- Bellandur
- Stretches along Sarjapur Road
East Bengaluru Localities:
- Marathahalli
- Whitefield (including parts of the EPIP Zone)
- KR Puram and Mahadevapura
- Banaswadi & Horamavu
Tips for Residents and Professionals:
Since the breakdowns will happen on a weekend, BESCOM added that timing will be planned to minimize impact on major office buildings of the corporation. If you’re working remotely or working from home in your neighborhood, though, the following precautions will be helpful:
Charge Your Devices
Before 10:00 AM, make sure that your laptops, mobile phones and power banks are fully charged.
Back-up Connectivity
Make sure your UPS or inverter is working if working from home. For users with Wi-Fi routers, probably get a mobile hotspot prepped.
Water Storage
Since most apartment complexes supply water using electric pumps, feel free to fill tanks earlier in the day.
Appliance Safety: Unplug sensitive electronics during the maintenance window to prevent damage to equipment that may fluctuate in voltage when the power comes back on.
The Long-Term Goal
In the short term, these short-term, temporary outages may cause some inconvenience but BESCOM is saying these works are required for what it calls “preventative maintenance.” By updating old equipment in the present and checking feeders’ safety now, the company wants to prevent more unplanned, long-term blackouts in the summer months when load on the grid is much higher.
