Power Cut During Lakshmi Pujan: Pune Residents in Pimple Nilakh, Kalyani Nagar, Aranyeshwar Report Outages

Pune, 9th November 2026: For several Pune families, the lights went out just as Lakshmi Pujan was about to begin on Sunday, 8 November. Residents in Pimple Nilakh, Kalyani Nagar, Wadgaon Sheri, Aranyeshwar and rural Shirur posted on X about power cuts between about 6:30 pm and 10 pm, the busiest hours of the festival.

The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company (MSEDCL) has not issued any public statement on the outages so far.

Where Pune residents reported power cuts on Lakshmi Pujan

Here is what residents posted, in order of time:

• 6:32 pm, Pimple Nilakh: @sachin_wal7149 wrote that power went off for the whole area right before his family started the puja, and tagged the Chief Minister and MSEDCL.
• 7:10 pm, Ranjangaon Sandas (Shirur taluka): @RandiveSach said there was no electricity on Lakshmi Pujan and asked whether MSEDCL should still collect bills, adding that rural residents are often ignored.
• 7:44 pm: @akkiman joked about a power cut at 7:45 pm, right at puja time, calling it a first in his experience of Pune. He did not name his area.
• 9:00 pm, Kalyani Nagar and Wadgaon Sheri: @humane_Shaoli posted sarcastically that MSEDCL deserved an award for a Diwali power cut in both areas.
• 10:03 pm, Aranyeshwar: @praphulla_joshi said the Padmawati substation had switched off power in the area during the celebrations, and “recommended” a Diwali bonus in jest.

The evening before, on 7 November, @PQPeeks had posted that the Bund Garden area had been without power for an hour, asking MSEDCL for the reason.

Post: @humane_Shaoli on X

Post: @praphulla_joshi on X

Why outages hit hardest on festival evenings

None of the posts said how long the power stayed off, and MSEDCL has not given reasons for these specific cuts. Evening power demand rises sharply on Lakshmi Pujan, when homes, shops and societies switch on decorative lights at the same time.

Firecracker sparks can also damage overhead lines and transformers. Pune’s fire brigade logged 24 fire calls between 3 pm and 9 pm the same day, as we reported in our story on Lakshmi Pujan night in Pune.

How to report a power cut to MSEDCL

MSEDCL lists these official ways to register an outage on its contact page:

• Toll-free numbers: 1912, 19120, 1800-212-3435 or 1800-233-3435
• Missed call: 022-50897100 from your registered mobile number
• SMS: type NOPOWER followed by your 12-digit consumer number (no space) and send it to 9930399303
• The MSEDCL mobile app

Keep your 12-digit consumer number, printed on your bill, handy. Note the complaint number you receive so you can follow up.

MSEDCL has asked people not to call field engineers directly during repairs, because frequent calls slow down restoration work, The Free Press Journal reported in June.

Posting on X: what helps

Many residents tag MSEDCL on X. If you do, add your area, the time the power went off and your complaint number, but avoid posting your full consumer number publicly. Share it with MSEDCL by direct message or on the helpline instead.

What is still not known

MSEDCL has not said how many feeders tripped on 8 November, how long restoration took, or whether the cuts were caused by load, faults or planned work. We will update this story if the Pune zone shares details.

For other civic updates, see Pune Civic.

Frequently asked questions