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Time of India
16 hours ago
- Climate
- Time of India
45 transformers damaged in last 3 days due to rain
1 2 Ranchi: Monsoon triggered rainfall over the past week has taken a toll on electricity supply across several parts of the city, causing inconvenience to residents. According to the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL), more than 45 power transformers were damaged due to persistent rainfall, leading to prolonged power outages in many areas in the last three days. Sources said that 200 transformers were down since the onset of monsoon, but they are working actively to restore them. The most affected localities include Namkum, Doranda, Chutia, Hatia, and Tatilswae, where residents are experiencing partial blackouts and intermittent supply. Officials stated that short circuits, blown fuses, and water-logged cables were among the most common issues reported during the past three days of heavy downpour. General secretary of the Ranchi Supply Area Board at JBVNL, Manmohan Kumar, said, "During rain, transformers, fuses, and underground cables often get affected. Strong winds make things worse by damaging overhead lines. Our crew are on standby and working continuously despite adverse weather, but maintenance takes time, which results in outages in impacted zones." You Can Also Check: Ranchi AQI | Weather in Ranchi | Bank Holidays in Ranchi | Public Holidays in Ranchi Field technicians are reportedly working round-the-clock to restore power supply, prioritising critical infrastructure and densely populated areas. "The rainwater seeps into the distribution boxes, causing short circuits. We've deployed maintenance teams in affected areas, but continuous rain has slowed progress," said D N Sahu, electrical superintendent engineer at JBVNL of Ranchi Zone. As per JBVNL officials, there are 18 sub-divisional officers, each assisted by a team of three mechanics responsible for carrying out maintenance work. Several areas, including New Colony, Hyder Ali Road, and Kokar, experienced repeated power cuts since last night. Although supply was briefly restored in the morning, electricity returned after 10:30 am. Similar outages lasting around five hours were reported in Namkum, Sidroll, Chuna Bhatta Ratu, Kokar, Tiril Road, and Sunder Vihar on Sunday and Monday. Neha Lakra, a resident of Chunna Bhatta, said, "It's difficult to manage daily chores without power. Sometimes water for drinking and bathing isn't available because the motor doesn't work during power outages."
Time of India
02-06-2025
- Business
- Time of India
City consumers struggle to pay power bills amid link failures
1 2 Ranchi: Consumers are struggling to pay electricity bills due to frequent link failures across any time payment (ATP) machines. This comes at a time when the Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) has identified 36,000 in Ranchi circle with dues. Of these, 600 have received warning. A total of 26 ATP machines faced technical issues, especially due to link failures, in the past three days. Consumers attempting to make bill payments reported repeated system breakdowns, resulting in long queues, arguments. A resident of Lalpur, Veena Kumari, said, "It's taking 5 to 7 minutes to pay a bill. Sometimes, the link fails when payment processing starts. Money gets deducted from our account but is not deposited in the JBVNL account." Earlier, the billing process was through a system developed by the HCL. The power department transitioned to a new platform, named 'Future Grid'. Electrical superintendent engineer D N Sahu said, "We have received complaints regarding link failures and software leakage. These will be investigated." The general manager of JBVNL (IT department), Dhananjay Kumar, said, "We found out three days ago that the link was down and addressed the problem." A total of 3.10 lakh smart meters have been installed across the city. Out of these, 2.80 lakh are functional in prepaid mode. People claim that though smart meters are connected to mobile apps allowing real-time billing, consumers have to visit payment centres. Many also reported disproportionate increase in billing amounts. A resident of Ratu, Anup Chatterjee, said, "Earlier, my bill used to be around Rs 1,500. Now, it touches Rs 4,000. There's no transparency and no one is listening. And when we go to pay, the system is down." While urban consumers are caught in a cycle of failed transactions and rising bills, rural areas have not been receiving bills, sometimes for months. Rina Devi of Rajaulatu, said, "We received the last electricity bill in November last year. The JBVNL officials tell us to contact our block office. We keep on running from pillar to post."
Time of India
14-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
JBVNL begins power disconnection of smart meters over unpaid bills
Ranchi: Over 250 were disconnected in Ranchi Circle in the last one week due to insufficient balance in and non-payment of dues. The Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited ( ) mandates that households should maintain a minimum balance of Rs 200 in their smart metres, failing which their supply will be automatically cut off. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Around 20,000 connections are on the verge of breaching the Rs 200 minimum balance limit, officials power cuts, a large number of consumers are now rushing to electricity offices to clear their dues or recharge their smart Singh, a daily wager from Kokar, said, "I'm not familiar with how to pay online for the smart meter, so I went to a cyber cafe for help. But even there, I found out the server wasn't working, and I had to wait for a long time just to pay the bill. They told me to come back after three hours. I can't afford to miss a day's wage, but I also can't afford a power cut."Suresh Kashyap, another consumer, said, "My UPI transaction failed because of server issues, which was really frustrating. On top of that, ever since the smart meter was installed, we've noticed a significant increase in the electricity bill amount."Electrical superintendent engineer, D N Sahu, said, "The objective isn't to cause inconvenience to consumers, but to promote timely bill payments and enhance the overall efficiency of the billing system. This step is part of a broader effort to streamline electricity services and ensure uninterrupted supply through better management."A JBVNL official said, "We recognise the ongoing server downtime challenges and are actively working to fix them. Additionally, efforts are being made to deploy more staff at billing counters during peak hours to manage the rush."
Time of India
29-04-2025
- Climate
- Time of India
Power cut troubles city pockets despite JBVNL's infra upgrade
Ranchi: Prolonged power cuts troubled several pockets of the city on Tuesday even after state run discom Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) augmented its six key substations of 35 MVA each across the city to cope up with the rise in power needs during summer months. On Tuesday, several areas including Ratu Road, New Madhukam, Kumhartoli and Jaiprakash Nagar experienced power outages which began around 12:30 pm and lasted till 5 pm. Substations in Harmu, Ashok Nagar, RMCH, Tupudana, and Namkum were equipped with additional capacity under JBVNL's Power System Stabilizer scheme. The aim was to stabilise electricity supply and reduce load stress on the city's distribution network. Despite this, many areas are still witnessing repeated outages and voltage fluctuations. For denizens, prolonged power outages added to their summer woes. "Even after the supposed upgrades, we face power cuts several times a day. It's difficult to manage basic household activities, and the inverters don't last long without sufficient backup", Piya Verma, a resident of Ashok Nagar, said. In many residential pockets of the city, residents were unable to recharge their inverter batteries due to the power cuts. In Tupudana and Namkum on the outskirts of the city, power cuts have become a persistent problem. "Power cuts have become a daily affair. It has become extremely difficult to get through the peak hours without electricity as fans dont work, lights flicker, and basic appliances remain unusable," said Ravi Kumar, a resident of Namkum. While JBVNL officials have not made a formal statement on the continued disruptions, sources said load balancing and technical issues are still being addressed. Manmohan Kumar, the general manager of JBVNL's Ranchi circle, said, "The weather has been unstable, with strong winds and rain in certain areas causing damage to power lines. As a result, repairs and maintenance are taking time."
Time of India
22-04-2025
- Business
- Time of India
NTPC funds 13cr power infra upgrade for supply to Tandwa
1 2 Chatra: The Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) will construct a 33 KV transmission line from Pakri Barwadih (Hazaribag) to Bukru substation to ensure reliable power supply to the industrial town of Tandwa. Two existing 5 MVA transformers at Tandwa and Bukru substations would be upgraded to 10 MVA each. NTPC PRO Mohini Kumari said the Rs 13 crore project will be funded under NTPC's Community Development initiative. Jharkhand Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) will execute the project, with completion expected within 4-6 months. The foundation laying ceremony was attended by Chatra MP Kalicharan Singh, Simaria MLA Kumar Ujjwal, along with NTPC and JBVNL officials and local representatives from Tandwa block. At present, Tandwa receives power from the heavily loaded Barkagaon feeder in Hazaribag, resulting in irregular supply. Following an agitation led by the MP last year, authorities agreed to establish a dedicated feeder at Pakri Barwadih. JBVNL prepared the detailed project report, and NTPC agreed to fund the initiative. "Tandwa has been facing regular and prolonged load shedding. This project will ensure uninterrupted power supply to the region," said Singh.
