JCB damages HT cable, 8,000 left without power

Nagpur: Nearly 8,000 electricity consumers in parts of East Nagpur faced a major power outage on Thursday afternoon after a private JCB machine damaged a high-tension underground power cable during excavation work near Jafri Hospital on Tajbagh road. According to officials, the incident took place around 3 pm when digging work was underway in the area. During excavation, the JCB operator allegedly damaged the 11 kV Raghuji Nagar feeder's underground HT cable connected to the 33/11 kV Sootgirni substation.The damage triggered a major flashover in the 11 kV incomer at the Sootgirni substation, leading to an immediate disruption in electricity supply from the feeder. Following the technical fault, power supply to several densely populated areas was suddenly snapped. The outage affected localities including Nandanvan, Umred Road, Sharda Chowk, Subhedar Layout, NIT Complex, Ganesh Nagar, Ishwar Nagar and Bhande Plot areas. Officials of MSEDCL said their technical teams rushed to the spot after receiving information about the fault and launched restoration immediate work. After nearly one hour of repair work and constant technical inspection, electricity supply was restored in all affected areas, officials confirmed.The incident has once again raised concerns over unregulated excavation activities taking place in the city, especially in areas with underground utility infrastructure. Citizens have demanded strict action against the careless and unauthorised digging work, stating that such incidents not only damage public infrastructure but also lead to major inconvenience for residents and commercial establishments.