Chennai Power Cuts: TN Minister Nirmalkumar Claims Some Outages Are Deliberately Caused

Mounting public frustration over recurring power cuts across Chennai has sparked protests in several neighbourhoods, even as Tamil Nadu Energy Resources and Law Minister R Nirmalkumar claimed that some of the outages are being deliberately engineered to create unrest and fuel political controversy.

Speaking to reporters, the minister said that electricity disruptions are being addressed promptly by authorities. However, he alleged that certain groups were intentionally causing power interruptions and encouraging residents to stage protests.

"Power cuts are being rectified immediately. In some places, power cuts are being deliberately caused, and some are inciting people to protest and engage in politics," Nirmalkumar said.

The minister's remarks come amid growing outrage among residents who have been grappling with frequent nighttime power cuts during a period of intense heat and humidity. Several areas, including ECR, OMR, Muttukadu, Thiruporur, Perambur, Vyasarpadi and parts of North Chennai, have reported repeated outages in recent weeks.

”கரண்ட் இல்லாம குழந்தையெல்லாம் வெச்சுட்டு ரொம்ப கஷ்டமா இருக்கு... வயசானவங்கலாம் இருக்காங்க”...

சென்னை அம்பத்தூர் சுற்றுப்பகுதிகளில் பல மணி நேரம் மின்தடை.. மின் அலுவலகம் முற்றுகை.. சாலை மறியலில் ஈடுபட்டதால் பல மணி நேரம் போக்குவரத்து பாதிப்பு#Chennai | #PowerCut | #People |… pic.twitter.com/7REhEFNlAv

— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 9, 2026

The situation escalated as angry residents took to the streets, blocking traffic on key arterial roads to demand immediate action. In Perambur, which falls within Chief Minister M K Stalin's constituency, residents reportedly protested after enduring nearly 20 consecutive nights of power disruptions.

மின்வெட்டு உடனடியாக சரி செய்யப்பட்டு வருகிறது.. சில இடங்களில் வேண்டுமென்றே மின்வெட்டு ஏற்படுத்துகிறார்கள், சிலர் மக்களை தூண்டி போராட்டம் நடத்தி அரசியல் செய்கிறார்கள் - அமைச்சர் நிர்மல் குமார் பேட்டி#Chennai | #MinisterCTRNirmalKumar | #PowerCut | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/CaVwYZ3hfk

— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 9, 2026

The officials were assessing the frequency and location of power failure to detect suspicious and repetitive patterns that suggested "deliberate sabotage" rather than technical issues, the TVK minister stated.

"Complaints are being filed against individuals caught tampering with power infrastructure with some arrests already reported," he added. Kumar has also sought the public's help to report suspicious individuals or activities in areas lacking CCTV coverage.

"The officials are utilising existing CCTV footage to identify individuals tampering with equipment, such as pulling fuses," Kumar added. He claimed that the real-time status updates on power cuts are being provided on social media through the 'Minnagam' portal.

The Tamil Nadu government has increased ground-level teams and intensified patrolling. "Additional teams of 20 persons each have been deployed in areas like north Chennai, Perambur and Villivakkam to provide immediate relief and restore power and more staff have been assigned to patrol during the nights," he said.

Residents have pointed to Chennai's ageing power distribution infrastructure as a key factor behind the recurring outages. Many substations, feeders, pillar boxes and underground cables were installed when the city's electricity demand was significantly lower, raising concerns about the network's ability to handle current loads.

Public anger was on full display in Arumbakkam, where nearly 100 residents gathered outside a Tamil Nadu Electricity Board office around 2.30 am, demanding restoration of power supply.

#WATCH | சென்னை மேடவாக்கம் சுற்றுவட்டாரப் பகுதி கடந்த 15 நாட்களுக்கு மேலாக இரவு நேரங்களில் தொடர் மின் வெட்டு ஏற்படுவதாக மக்கள் வேதனை.

அதிகாரிகள் அலுவலகத்தில் இருப்பது இல்லை என குற்றச்சாட்டு#SunNews | #Chennai | #Medavakkam | #PowerCut pic.twitter.com/imme17cACZ

— Sun News (@sunnewstamil) June 9, 2026

The latest wave of complaints follows a major outage last month linked to a disturbance in the 400 KV transmission network at Manali and Athipattu. The fault affected two 230 KV feeders and triggered a cascading impact across several parts of North Chennai, leaving thousands without electricity for hours.

A senior electricity department official recently told DT Next that Chennai had experienced two major breakdowns in recent weeks. Apart from the Manali transmission issue, damage to two 33 KV lines near Mylapore also led to localised disruptions before supply was restored.

In Vyasarpadi, residents of Sharma Nagar, SA Colony, Sathyamoorthy Nagar and JJ Nagar complained of prolonged and repeated outages that have severely affected daily life.

"We have not slept well for a month now. There have been countless nights without power," said Somesh, a resident of Vyasarpadi.

நைட்டு தான் கரண்ட் கட் பண்ணுவேனு சொல்றதுக்கு நீங்க யாரு..? அரும்பாக்கம் பகுதியில் மின்வெட்டால் கடுப்பான மக்கள்.. மின்வாரிய அலுவலகத்தை முற்றுகையிட்டு கடும் வாக்குவாதம்#Chennai | #Electricity | #EBOffice | #Powercut | #People | #PolimerNews pic.twitter.com/jINLrLMirb

— Polimer News (@polimernews) June 9, 2026

The frustration spilled onto the streets when residents blocked the Sathyamoorthy Nagar main road after a power cut lasting more than two hours. Police later intervened and persuaded protesters to disperse after assurances that the issue would be addressed.

A similar protest unfolded in Muttukadu, where around 200 residents assembled on East Coast Road, alleging official apathy towards their complaints. Protesters claimed that a recent outage lasted nearly five hours despite repeated attempts to contact authorities.

Complaints of frequent power cuts, voltage fluctuations and low-voltage supply continue to emerge from several localities, including Puzhal, Kovur, Gerugambakkam, Alapakkam, RA Puram, Mylapore, Triplicane and Nungambakkam, highlighting the growing challenge facing Chennai's power distribution network.