Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) has decided to exempt Nashik from its peak-hour power-management arrangement after interruptions affected traffic signals, CCTV surveillance and other civic services linked to the city’s streetlight electricity connections.
The utility had begun managing supply to urban streetlight connections as part of an effort to address a sharp rise in electricity demand during the evening transition period. The measure was intended to reduce stress on the grid between 5.45pm and 6.30pm, according to a senior MSEDCL officer based in Mumbai.
The arrangement led to disruption in Nashik after power supplied through smart meters under the streetlight tariff was disconnected without prior notice on October 13. Nashik Municipal Corporation commissioner Manisha Khatri subsequently wrote to MSEDCL, seeking the immediate restoration of uninterrupted supply.
In her letter, Khatri said the interruption affected public toilets, public gardens, traffic signals and CCTV systems connected to the smart meters. She said the disruption hampered traffic management, street repair work and the use of civic services, causing inconvenience to residents.
“Without any prior notice, the online power supply to NMC’s smart electricity meters under the street light tariff was abruptly cut off at 05.30pm on Oct 13, 2026,” Khatri wrote. She added that essential services connected to the meters were “severely affected during daytime operations”.
The MSEDCL officer said the power-management arrangement was introduced after technical monitoring identified a sudden increase in electricity demand during the evening peak. The officer described the evening switchover period as a critical grid-management challenge and said failure to manage grid frequency could lead to grid collapse.
According to the officer, the utility had limited options for obtaining emergency load relief. The official said there was no agricultural load receiving power in the evening from which relief could be obtained, while electricity supply in rural areas was already under strain. MSEDCL therefore decided to delay lighting to urban streetlights in areas excluding Mumbai as a way of managing the critical period.
The decision had a wider operational effect because several Nashik civic systems were connected to electricity meters classified under the streetlight tariff. The disruption showed that a measure designed around streetlight consumption could also affect services that depend on the same supply arrangement, including traffic control and public surveillance systems.
Following the NMC’s intervention, MSEDCL reviewed the issue and decided to remove Nashik from the arrangement. The senior officer said Nashik would be excluded after Mumbai and Pune, and that the utility would adopt other methods to provide relief during the evening peak period.
MSEDCL officials maintained that the revised strategy was necessary because electricity demand rises sharply across Maharashtra during evening hours. For Nashik civic authorities, however, the immediate concern was the continuity of essential services whose electricity connections were affected by the streetlight supply decision. The utility’s alternative measures and their impact on civic operations will determine how the grid-management plan proceeds in the city.
