Walajabad villagers block road at midnight over power cuts; traffic hit

CHENNAI: Over 500 residents from villages near Walajabad in Kancheepuram district staged a midnight road blockade to protest persistent and unannounced power cuts.

The protest erupted around midnight on Wednesday, bringing traffic to a halt on key stretches of the Kancheepuram–Chengalpattu and Walajabad–Vandalur highways for over two hours.

The agitation was sparked by a prolonged power outage that began around 8 pm in Karukkupettai and surrounding areas and continued late into the night, when the public got frustrated over ongoing electricity issues.

Villagers allege they have been facing frequent outages, low voltage, and power surges for months, which have damaged household appliances and disrupted daily life.

Despite repeated complaints to the Electricity Board (EB), no remedial action was taken, residents said.

Calls made to EB officials during outages often went unanswered, further fueling public anger.

Late Wednesday night, as power remained unrestored even past 11 pm, villagers poured onto the highways and staged a sit-in at the intersection of the Kancheepuram-Chengalpattu and Wallajabad-Vandalur roads.

Though it was midnight, traffic congestion quickly built up, as these routes remain busy even during late hours.

In a striking gesture, the protesting villagers allowed ambulances to pass freely but refused to give way to a police escort vehicle accompanying a VIP.

As a result, the escort vehicle too was caught in the gridlock.

Police personnel from Wallajabad rushed to the spot and engaged in tense negotiations with the crowd.

Protesters, including families with young children, expressed their inability to sleep or use essential appliances like fans, mixers, and televisions due to unstable electricity supply.

They refused to disperse until power was restored.

Authorities then coordinated with EB officials, who informed that a severed power cable was the cause of the disruption and assured speedy restoration.

By around 1.30 am, electricity was restored in the affected areas, including street lighting, following which the demonstrators peacefully dispersed.

The protest caused significant disruptions to traffic for more than two hours during the night, underscoring growing public frustration over infrastructure failures and lack of response from officials.