Summer power tripping disrupt industrial operations, MSMEs seek infra upgrade

Indore: Rising electricity demand during peak summer month is triggering frequent power tripping and voltage fluctuations across industrial belts, disrupting production schedules and adding to operational challenges for industries already grappling with heat-related productivity losses.Industries across major clusters including Pithampur, Sanwer Road and Palda said even short-duration outages are causing disruptions in sectors such as engineering, plastics, food processing, pharmaceuticals and fabrication, where continuous production cycles and uninterrupted machinery operations are critical.An industrialist Anil Paliwal said industries have witnessed frequent outages over the past two weeks under the pretext of maintenance and tripping. “Power supply is getting interrupted four to five times a day. Industries such as plastic moulding, rolling mills, confectionery, life-saving pharma products and food processing are among the worst hit. Entire production lots are getting affected, leading to losses and quality concerns,” he said.Industry members said summer has significantly increased electricity consumption due to greater use of industrial cooling systems, ventilation units and air-conditioning infrastructure, putting additional pressure on existing power networks.MSMEs said the issue is becoming more severe in labour-intensive industrial areas where companies have simultaneously increased deployment of industrial coolers and other cooling infrastructure to cope with rising temperatures.A dal mill owner from Palda Komal Agrawal said frequent outages without prior alerts are severely affecting manufacturing activity. “There are five to six tripping incidents almost every day without any intimation. Frequent disruptions directly impact productivity because restarting machinery and stabilising production lines takes time. Even a few minutes of interruption can translate into operational losses,” she said.Industrialists said repeated tripping not only affects production but also increases maintenance costs and raises the risk of equipment damage due to sudden fluctuations.Industry representatives have sought strengthening of power infrastructure and installation of additional facilities including substations, transformers and feeder systems to distribute load more efficiently.Industry bodies have urged authorities to conduct load assessments in industrial areas and prepare summer-specific power management plans, warning that recurring electricity disruptions could increase costs and affect productivity at a time when MSMEs are already facing multiple operational pressures.