"Hinjawadi IT Park stands still amid a multi-day blackout triggered by a 220kv line fault. (Source: puneripages.in)"
By Prashant for PuneriPages.in
It’s not every day that Pune’s IT heart skips a beat. But on July 6, 2025, it did — and not just a small one. Hinjawadi, the pride of Pune’s tech scene, has been brought to a grinding halt. The culprit? A major failure in Mahatransco’s 220kV Extra High Voltage line. Over 12,000 homes, offices, and lives are in the dark — literally. Authorities say it might take three to four days to restore power fully. But as someone who lives and breathes this city, I can tell you: this is more than a blackout. This is a reality check.
Table of Contents
LIVE UPDATES (as of July 7, 2025):
- Estimated Restoration Time: Still looking at a 3-4 day window, as per Mahatransco.
- What Caused It: Fault in the 220kV EHV line — the very artery of power supply.
- Who’s Hit: Hinjawadi Phases 1, 2, 3, and parts of the MIDC belt.
- What Companies Are Doing: Scrambling. WFH protocols are on, diesel generators humming, but it’s all patchwork.
When the Lights Went Out, So Did the Economy
Let’s be clear: Hinjawadi isn’t just another neighborhood. It’s where billion-dollar deals get coded, where support desks run 24/7 for clients across the globe. And now? Empty cubicles. Silent servers. Missed deadlines.
People assume work-from-home will solve everything. But what do you do when there’s no power at home either? No Wi-Fi, no charging ports, no elevators — just helplessness.
And then there’s the diesel generator chaos. These things aren’t built to run non-stop for days. Fuel is drying up. Noise levels are through the roof. And the environmental cost? Don’t even get me started.
Worse, the international community is watching. Imagine being a CEO in London and hearing your Pune team just… vanished because of a power cut. It’s not just embarrassing — it’s damaging.
Breakdown of a Breakdown: Understanding the Disaster
Okay, quick explainer: Mahatransco is the state’s high-voltage transmission arm. Think of it like the highway system for electricity. MSEDCL is the local distributor — your city roads.
Now, this 220kV line isn’t some random wire. It’s the expressway. And when that fails, you’re not just stuck in traffic — the whole city stops.
Why on earth is there no backup? No alternate route for power to reach one of India’s most crucial tech zones? These are questions we can’t afford to ignore anymore.
Holding the Right People Accountable
This didn’t just “happen.” It was allowed to happen. And we need answers.
To Mahatransco:
- When was this line last inspected?
- Why is there no redundancy for such a vital zone?
To the State Govt. & MIDC:
- You sell Hinjawadi as a global tech park. Where is the world-class infrastructure?
To HIA (Hinjawadi Industries Association):
- What’s the estimated financial loss?
- Are you pushing back legally? Demanding guarantees for the future?
What the Ground Looks Like Right Now
I spoke to a café owner near Phase 2. “Everything’s spoiled. We had to throw out today’s stock. We’re losing thousands.”
An HR head at a top IT firm told me, “We’re in disaster mode. Our diesel stock won’t last. And we’re already seeing heat from international clients.”
These stories are everywhere. And they hurt. Not just emotionally, but economically too.
The Wake-Up Call We Didn’t Want But Desperately Needed
If we want to call ourselves a smart city, if Pune truly wants to compete with Bengaluru or Hyderabad, this blackout must never repeat.
Let this be the day we stopped treating power infrastructure as an afterthought. The day the system finally understood: when Hinjawadi goes dark, all of Pune dims.
The city deserves better. Its people definitely do.
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