Residents of Kodaimedu and Kumaran Nagar in Chennai’s Saidapet staged a protest outside the local Electricity Board (EB) office after enduring hours-long unannounced power cuts that they said have become a recurring problem, particularly during the summer months.
According to residents, electricity was cut around 9 PM and was not restored until nearly 3 AM, leaving families without power for almost six hours. Frustrated by the prolonged outage and the lack of communication from officials, residents gathered at the EB office demanding immediate action.
Speaking to reporters, several residents described the difficulties caused by the repeated outages. One woman questioned why nearby government buildings and government residential quarters continued to receive uninterrupted power while ordinary residential areas remained in darkness. She argued that authorities should prioritise electricity supply to homes rather than keeping street and decorative lights switched on.
Another resident said the power cut began around 9:45 PM and continued for nearly five hours. She said families waited, expecting the electricity to return shortly and purchased food from outside before eventually realising the outage would continue. She added that children were unable to sleep comfortably, clothes became soaked with sweat, and even a battery-operated fan used as a backup had failed. According to her, the issue has occurred repeatedly and has become particularly severe during the summer season, affecting people who work from home as well as school-going children.
Residents also complained about the response from electricity department officials. One resident alleged that, unlike in previous years when officials would return missed calls from consumers, repeated attempts to contact authorities now often go unanswered. He said residents had personally visited the office seeking explanations but received no satisfactory response. He added that many families do not have air conditioners and rely solely on electric fans, making prolonged outages especially difficult during hot nights. The resident said people were forced to spend sleepless nights despite having to report for work the next morning.
Residents further alleged that repeated complaints to the EB office have produced only temporary relief, with power supply repeatedly switching on and off. They said elderly residents, children, and people with health conditions have been particularly affected. According to those gathered at the protest, dozens of residents have repeatedly approached officials seeking a permanent solution.
It is noteworthy that residents of several parts of Tamil Nadu, particularly Chennai and its suburbs, have continued to face unannounced power cuts during both daytime and nighttime hours. In Kodaimedu and Kumaran Nagar, the prolonged outage triggered widespread anger, prompting residents to march to the local EB office and demand answers from officials.
Residents warned that if immediate action is not taken to ensure uninterrupted electricity supply, they would intensify their protest and take their agitation to the streets.
The protest has also highlighted allegations of unequal power distribution. Residents claimed that government employees’ residential quarters located in the same locality did not experience any outage and continued to receive uninterrupted electricity throughout the night. This, they said, has fuelled resentment among local residents who believe that poorer neighbourhoods are being disproportionately affected by the recurring power cuts.
The incident comes despite repeated assurances from the Electricity Department that power supply across the state remains stable. Residents, however, say recurring unannounced outages continue to disrupt daily life, affecting schoolchildren, workers, senior citizens, and families across the area.
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