The first day of the launch of zero load-shedding model of power utility Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) backfired with several areas of the city witnessing power cuts that lasted up to eight hours. The MSEDCL had said it would start zero load-shedding from Thursday but officials today said the lines were shut owing to "regular maintenance work". S P Nagtilak,chief engineer of Pune division of MSEDCL,said,"Zero load-shedding was launched in all divisions on Thursday. But we undertook maintenance work like line repairs today as it is an industrial holiday in the city." However,he said an effort would be made to go in for phase-wise maintenance work in future. The new model came into effect from Thursday in Pune,Thane,Navi Mumbai and Aurangabad,MSEDCL officials said. The model has already been implemented in Nagpur and Amravati and MSEDCL has purchased power to the tune of 550 MW from the Indian Energy Exchange on a day-ahead basis,officials said. In Pune,the reliability charge in lieu of zero load-shedding is 21 paise per unit against 48 paise that was charged when the model was in force earlier. For many people the announcement of zero power cuts turned out to be yet another disappointment. "I had just finished reading the newspaper reports that there will be no more power cuts in the city from today when the power went off. It was not restored till 6 pm," said Sasidharan,a resident of NIBM Road. The story was no different in many other areas. Vivek Velankar,president of the Sajag Grahak Manch said the MSEDCL has been unable to respond to citizen's queries as to how the utility could enforce a day-long power cut citing maintenance work,even after the zero loadshedding model was put in place. Velankar expressed concern about the Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission (MERC) 's approval to collect Rs 785 crore from power consumers,at a rate of 35 paise per unit. "MERC is approving such a huge amount without any public hearing in spite of demand by consumer organisations like Prayas. We don't understand why there is so much of hurry for this approval as the matter is pending with the Appellate Tribunal for hearing," he said.
