Tamil Nadu Forms District-Level Teams to Ensure Uninterrupted Power Supply

In a move aimed at ensuring uninterrupted power supply across Tamil Nadu , the Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited ( TNPDCL ) has decided to set up special monitoring teams in all districts to address outages more efficiently and improve service reliability.

The decision comes in the wake of a series of frequent power interruptions reported in several districts , particularly in Chennai and its suburban regions , raising concerns over distribution efficiency despite adequate power availability in the State.

According to an official release, Tamil Nadu currently serves nearly 35.2 million electricity consumers , supported by a vast infrastructure network comprising 1,910 substations and more than 4.47 lakh transformers spread across the State.

The newly formed district-level monitoring teams will be tasked with ensuring faster fault detection and immediate restoration of supply , with a focus on reducing the duration of power outages and improving overall consumer satisfaction. These teams are expected to respond swiftly to issues arising in the distribution system and coordinate repairs in real time.

To strengthen emergency response and maintenance work, the government has also approved contingency funds for field engineers . Under the revised allocation, chief engineers can access up to ₹1 lakh , supervising engineers up to ₹75,000 , operational engineers up to ₹50,000 , assistant operational engineers up to ₹25,000 , and assistant and junior engineers up to ₹10,000 for urgent restoration activities.

A review meeting chaired by Electricity Minister C T R Nirmal Kumar on Wednesday assessed the causes of intermittent supply disruptions and discussed measures to address them promptly. The meeting examined recurring technical issues such as underground cable damage, transformer failures, line breakdowns, RMU malfunctions, and high-voltage transformer defects , along with weather-related disruptions caused by rain and strong winds .

Officials noted that while power generation and procurement remain adequate , distribution challenges and unexpected technical faults have been affecting supply stability in certain areas.

The State government has reiterated its objective of ensuring a reliable and uninterrupted electricity supply , particularly in urban and suburban regions, through strengthened monitoring, quicker response systems, and improved infrastructure coordination.