Bengaluru Power Outage: Residents in Bellandur, Whitefield Left in the Dark for Over 36 Hours

Residents of Bellandur and Whitefield in Bengaluru have been facing an unprecedented power outage lasting over 36 hours, with no clear resolution in sight. Many affected citizens took to social media platforms, including Reddit and Twitter, to express their frustration over the prolonged electricity disruption and the lack of timely updates from Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (BESCOM).

According to residents, the outage began late in the night and has continued for more than a day and a half. Despite multiple complaints and social media appeals, there has been no clear timeline for restoration. An update on the BESCOM app cited a feeder issue at the Devarabeesanahalli RMZ substation but failed to provide an estimated time of repair.

A resident shared their ordeal on Reddit, explaining how they had lodged complaints through BESCOM's official app, raised concerns on social media, and encouraged neighbors to do the same. Despite these efforts, BESCOM has not provided a concrete solution. The only update they received from their apartment association was that an underground cable fault had occurred, and BESCOM lacked the necessary machinery to fix it immediately. The expected restoration time has now been pushed to the following evening, meaning residents may have to endure over two days without power.

Bescom power outage since 24+ hours in Bellandur and Whitefield
byu/Sea-Fee7673 inbangalore

"This is unacceptable for a city like Bengaluru. Honest taxpayers are being forced to live without basic amenities like electricity and water on a regular basis," wrote an exasperated resident.

Adding to the frustration, some residents suspect that the fault may have been caused by other civic agencies digging in the area. One user on Reddit, 'ihatepanipuri', wrote BBMP workers, while digging for a stormwater drain, broke a sewage pipe. Instead of fixing the damage, the contractor simply covered it with a stone slab. It was only after vigilant residents raised a ruckus and called BBMP engineers, the local MLA, and BWSSB that the repair work was properly completed.

Others highlighted the lack of accountability from government agencies, with BESCOM, BBMP, and BWSSB often failing to deliver essential services efficiently.

The outage has also impacted daily life, with power backup sources such as diesel generators running intermittently for limited hours. Many apartment complexes are struggling to ration their generator fuel, while individual homeowners without inverters are left in complete darkness.

Some social media users compared Bengaluru's infrastructure woes to Mumbai, where power outages are a rare occurrence despite high electricity costs. "I've lived in Mumbai for 25+ years and faced fewer power cuts in my lifetime than I have in just two months in Bengaluru," commented another user.

Meanwhile, BESCOM's customer service remains inaccessible for many, with reports of area Junior Engineers (JE) not answering calls. The outage has once again sparked debates about Bengaluru's crumbling infrastructure, with residents calling for better governance and privatization of essential services to ensure accountability and efficiency.

As the outage enters its second consecutive day, affected citizens are demanding immediate intervention from authorities to restore power and prevent such disruptions in the future.