Mysuru: The Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) is preparing to illuminate around 146 km of roads and 123 circles across Mysuru city ahead of the grand Mysuru Dasara celebrations. However, the preparations have drawn criticism from residents who have recently faced prolonged power outages in several parts of the city.

Residents have questioned the priority of spending significant resources on decorative lighting when basic electricity supply remains a concern in many neighbourhoods. A prolonged outage on September 6 left several households without electricity for much of the day, affecting water supply, household work and other essential activities.

CESC prepares for Dasara illumination

CESC has begun preparations to illuminate major roads and junctions across Mysuru as part of the annual Dasara celebrations. The planned decorative lighting is expected to cover a stretch of about 146 km and include 123 important circles.

The illumination forms part of the city’s preparations to welcome visitors during Dasara, one of Karnataka’s biggest cultural and tourism events. The lighting of roads, junctions and prominent locations traditionally adds to the festive atmosphere and enhances the appearance of the city after sunset.

However, the preparations have come at a time when residents are raising questions about the reliability of the city’s electricity supply.

Residents complain about prolonged outage

Several areas of Mysuru experienced an extended power outage on Sunday, September 6. Residents said the interruption lasted far longer than the maintenance schedule announced by CESC.

A Rajesh, a resident of Kalyangiri Nagar, said there was no power in his area from around 9 am. Although electricity was restored intermittently between about 6.30 pm and 7 pm, he said supply became normal only around 10.30 pm.

The prolonged outage affected household activities, with residents unable to operate water pumps and other essential appliances.

Rajesh said UPS batteries were also exhausted, affecting work that had to be completed over the weekend. He expressed concern that the disruption could have a knock-on effect on household and professional activities during the following week.

Water supply also affected

The power disruption had a direct impact on water availability for several residents.

Without electricity, water could not be pumped to overhead tanks in some houses. This affected basic activities such as washing clothes, cleaning utensils and bathing.

Sunitha Achar, a resident of Raghavendra Nagar, said her family also faced difficulties obtaining drinking water during the outage.

She explained that her household depends on Reverse Osmosis water purification plants for drinking water because the tap water supplied by Mysuru City Corporation is not considered suitable for direct consumption by her family.

Due to the prolonged electricity interruption, the family could not collect drinking water from the RO facility. They were forced to use the remaining water from the overhead tank and boil it before waiting several hours for it to cool sufficiently for consumption.

Sunitha questioned the effectiveness of electricity welfare schemes when residents experience prolonged periods without power.

Impact extended to cremation services

The disruption also reportedly affected a family dealing with the death of a relative.

V N Mahadev, a resident of Vijayanagar, said a person in his friend’s family had died on Saturday night and the cremation was scheduled for Sunday afternoon.

According to him, the absence of electricity forced the family to arrange firewood and modify the planned cremation process.

He said even families dealing with bereavement had to cope with the consequences of the prolonged power outage.

The incident highlights how extended electricity interruptions can affect not only routine household activities but also essential services and situations requiring immediate attention.

Maintenance shutdown was announced

CESC had issued a press note on Friday, September 4, announcing a scheduled power shutdown from 10 am to 6 pm on September 6 as part of its second tri-monthly maintenance programme.

The notification listed affected areas under several power distribution centres. These included the 66/11 KV Hebbal, Hebbal Industrial Area, Metagalli, Vijayanagar, South, KHB, Hampapura, Bogadi, Kalamandira, Datagalli and Ramakrishna Nagar centres, along with the 220/66/11 KV Hootagalli centre.

The detailed notification was divided into nine sections and listed various localities expected to experience interruptions.

However, residents said the actual duration of the outage was considerably longer than the period mentioned in the notification.

Residents question communication

Residents have also raised concerns about how effectively scheduled power interruption information reaches the public.

M R Raghunandan, a resident of Sharadhadevi Nagar, said residents often struggle to understand which areas will be affected by lengthy technical notifications.

He questioned whether sufficient publicity was given to the CESC announcement and whether ordinary consumers would notice or understand such detailed notifications even when they are published.

Residents said clearer and more accessible communication about maintenance works could help households make arrangements for water storage, work commitments and other essential requirements.

CESC explains reason for extended outage

CESC Superintending Engineer Sunil Kumar acknowledged that the prolonged outage caused considerable inconvenience to residents.

He said the power shutdown began earlier than the time mentioned in the notification, at around 9 am, and supply could be restored fully only by around 11 pm.

According to him, the Bastipura main feeder developed a problem, following which Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) engineers took up necessary work.

He explained that the additional work was unavoidable and that electricity could initially have been restored by around 6.30 pm.

However, once power was restored, there was a sudden increase in the load as residents switched on water pumps, UPS systems, inverters, refrigerators and other electrical appliances.

This resulted in another problem and delayed complete normalisation of the power supply until around 11 pm, Kumar said.

Dasara preparations amid public expectations

Mysuru is currently preparing for the annual Dasara celebrations, when the city receives large numbers of visitors. Decorative lighting across major roads and junctions is an important part of the city’s festive preparations.

At the same time, residents expect essential electricity services to remain reliable, particularly during periods when households depend on power for water supply, refrigeration, communication and other necessities.

The contrasting developments have prompted questions over whether the city’s infrastructure is adequately prepared to handle both the additional requirements of Dasara illumination and the regular electricity needs of residents.

Need for reliable power supply

The complaints have placed renewed focus on the importance of uninterrupted electricity supply in Mysuru, particularly during the festival season.

While decorative illumination can contribute to the festive ambience and tourism appeal of the city, residents argue that reliable basic electricity supply should remain the priority.

CESC’s explanation indicates that the September 6 outage was linked to technical issues involving the Bastipura feeder and subsequent load problems. Nevertheless, residents’ concerns over communication, restoration time and the impact on essential services underline the need for better preparedness.

As Mysuru gets ready for Dasara, the challenge for the power utility will be to ensure that the city’s festive illumination does not come at the expense of dependable electricity services for its residents.