Poor power distribution infra adds to summer woes of Chennaiites

Though the power supply remains stable in most parts of the day time, it turns erratic and fluctuates between 9 pm and 12 am, complained residents of the southern suburbs.

The night time power cuts could not have come at a worse time, as Chennai was witnessing one of the most scorching summers in the recent past, with the mercury climbing up each passing day.

Renuka, a resident of Velakkal in Nanmangalam, complained that there was frequent disruption of power supply at midnight. “If the power supply does not go off, we will be facing low voltage problem. The frequent power cuts during the night time is disrupting the residents’ sleep,” she said.

Echoing similar views, A Arjunan, a resident of Vimala Nagar at Medavakkam, said that his locality witness power cut that lasts from five minutes to 30 minutes every night. “This causes a lot of inconvenience, especially to children and senior citizens,” he said, adding that at times the local authorities would not respond to the phone calls if power supply gets disrupted after 11 pm.

P Ezhil, a resident of Pazhavanthangal, said that air conditioners do not work even with a double booster in low voltage. “I have been complaining about the low voltage problem to the Tangedco officials for a week now. But no action was taken on it,” he said.

A senior Tangedco official said that the short time power cuts during the night was mostly because of the tripping of distribution transformers because of power overload. He said that the main reason for the overload was due to the rise in the usage of air conditioners. “The increased usage of ACs to beat the heat during night time triggers a huge surge in power demand, thereby affecting the robustness of the distribution network and results in power cuts and voltage fluctuation,” the official said.

The price of jasmine may skyrocket to Rs 400 per kg, say flower vendors, as the wedding season approaches. Stocks are low in the wholesale market due to water shortage and the best of roses that usually come from Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh haven’t reached yet.

“Right now, the only flower that is selling well is jasmine, which comes from different parts of the State like Tiruvallur, Chengalpet and Tiruthani. Each kilo is selling for Rs 150, but once Agni Nakshatram ends, it can go up to Rs 400-500,” said Chennai Koyambedu Flower Wholesale Marchant Association MD Arul Visuvasam. Until August, jasmine and some varieties of rose are the only stock vendors are expecting he said. “Even so, business is dull during the week. It picks up only from Friday through the weekend.”

But not all couples these days are opting for fresh flowers, said the manager of a wedding hall in Mahalingapuram. “I know a lot of youngsters who prefer artificial flowers or pre-designed sets because it cuts costs compared to buying real ones, and because of environmental consciousness — they want zero-waste weddings,” he explained. Artificial flowers are recyclable but look as pretty as the real alternative, and people insist they want original flowers mainly for garlands or adorning on the hair.

“In some cases, clients who have lavish budgets opt for exotic flower decor using hydrangeas, which costs Rs 400 for one stem, tulips, lilies and orchids. These can’t be availed in the city wholesale markets but need to be ordered beforehand from florists in other parts of the country or abroad,” said Gomathi Batra, who runs a wedding planning company.

However, due to the heat, they don’t last very long unless in an enclosed and dully air-conditioned wedding hall.