MUMBAI: On Thursday, a fire triggered by a suspected short circuit in Bhuleshwar once again swung the spotlight on the ageing underground power cable network of the Brihanmumbai Electricity Supply and Transport (BEST). A substantial 300 km of the network is in need of replacement, and the process for this has begun.
“This can cause old cables to overheat and catch fire. This could also have been a factor in the Bhuleshwar blaze. The officials added that damaged sections of old cables were sometimes temporarily repaired by wrapping them with insulating tape. However, excessive heat, the weather, and the electrical load can cause the insulation and cables to deteriorate further, increasing the risk of short circuits and fires. This is crucial to prevent power supply failures and short circuits owing to overloaded cables. The BEST authorities stated often temporary cables were connected to the power lines, exacerbating the problem. In several instances, engineers have restored supply by diverting power through alternate cable networks, a temporary measure that can increase the load on otherwise functional cables while leaving the original faults unresolved. This job will take close to a year to complete. The work could mean fresh excavation of roads in Bhuleshwar and adjoining areas where the BMC has recently completed cement-concrete road projects.
Several sections of the underground network are 70 to 80 years old, with some cables even dating back to pre-independence, according to BEST officials. BEST has now initiated a tender process to replace the 300 km of underground electricity cables at an estimated cost of ₹ 200 crore. “The replacement programme is expected to take around two to three years to complete, with the entire network upgrade targeted for 2029. BEST has identified nearly 1,200 locations across South and Central Mumbai where cable faults require urgent repair. The locations span municipal wards serving around 1.05 million electricity consumers and include Marine Lines, Girgaon, Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi, Wadala, Matunga, Bhendi Bazaar, Masjid, Sion, Mahim, Zaveri Bazaar and Dadar. BEST officials said they would compensate the civic body for this, with a rate of around ₹ 10,000 per metre being considered. BEST is grappling with over 2,500 unresolved complaints related to cable faults and other technical issues. The problem is particularly acute in South Mumbai’s A, B, C, D and E wards, where a single fuse control room caters to around 3,50,000 consumers. The Undertaking has recorded around 7,500 power-related complaints so far this year, nearly 1,000 more than in 2024 (statistics for 2024-25 are pending). To strengthen field operations, it has approved the recruitment of around 690 workers for cable fault detection and repairs.
Because the damaged cables lie beneath these cement-concrete roads, which the BMC does not easily permit to dig up, several faults remain unresolved.
“Following power outages, temporary connections are often provided, increasing the load on existing lines,” said a senior official from BEST. “The tender is expected to be awarded shortly, with work likely to begin by December or early January 2027,” said another official. Officials said that patches of three to five metres would need to be dug up at each location to remove and replace the temporary wires and cables that were used to fuse with the main power lines wherever the original cables were damaged in the past. Officials said that rising electricity demand, heatwaves, waterlogging during the monsoon and rapid redevelopment had added to the pressure on the ageing network.
