Bhatkal: The Hubli Electricity Supply Company Limited (HESCOM) earns approximately ₹10 crore per month from Bhatkal, the highest revenue from any taluk in the Uttara Kannada district, said Bhatkal HESCOM Assistant Engineer Mr. Manjunath.
Addressing allegations that HESCOM deliberately disconnects power, especially during Ramzan and Muslim festivals, he refuted the claims, calling them baseless. He explained that even a one-hour power outage results in a loss of nearly ₹10 lakh for the company. "In this context, why would we deliberately cut power?" he questioned. However, he clarified that Bhatkal's high power consumption puts immense pressure on transformers, sometimes leading to overload failures, causing sudden power disruptions.
While briefing a delegation from Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem, Bhatkal’s leading social organization, about the power outages, Manjunath stated that as a temporary solution, a new 5000 KVA transformer had been recently installed. He expressed confidence that this measure would help minimize power failures during Ramzan.
Following growing public complaints and widespread social media discussions regarding power cuts at the start of Ramzan, a delegation from Tanzeem visited the 33/11KV sub station at Heble. The delegation met with Assistant Engineer Manjunath to discuss the power disruptions and convey public grievances.
Leading the delegation, Tanzeem President Inayatullah Shabandari expressed serious concern over power cuts, emphasizing that Muslims remain engaged in worship late at night and wake up early for Sehri during Ramzan. "Power outages in such circumstances are unbearable," he said. Given the ongoing heatwave, the public is already suffering, and frequent power failures only add to their distress. Shabandari firmly urged HESCOM to ensure an uninterrupted power supply throughout Ramzan.
In a cordial discussion with the delegation, Assistant Engineer Manjunath clarified that Bhatkal already had two 5000 KVA transformers, but due to surging power demand, an additional 5000 KVA transformer had recently been installed. However, he admitted that this was merely a temporary solution, and a long-term plan is necessary to permanently resolve Bhatkal's power issues.
Manjunath stressed that the installation of a 110 kV power line is crucial for Bhatkal, and linking it to the Byndoor grid would provide a sustainable solution to ongoing power issues. However, he acknowledged that the project is facing multiple challenges and appealed to Majlis-e-Islah-o-Tanzeem to use its influence at the government level to speed up the work and facilitate the project's implementation.
Present at the meeting were Tanzeem General Secretary Abdul Raqeeb M.J. Nadvi, Jailani Shabandari, and Azeezur Rahman Ruknuddin Nadvi, who assured their full commitment to lobbying for a permanent solution at the governmental level. They also emphasized the importance of collective efforts to prevent further power cuts.