Hundreds of residents in Ranipet blocked a key road on Friday to protest frequent power cuts that have disrupted farming and daily life for over 1,500 families.
The protest took place at Parameswaramangalam near Arakkonam town, where residents including women and traders stopped traffic on the Arakkonam-Thakkolam Main Road around 11 a.m. Most of the affected households rely on agriculture, and the outages have prevented irrigation of paddy fields using motor pump sets.
Farmers and residents said the cuts have also stopped them from pumping water to overhead tanks, forcing them to store limited supplies in pots. Local Tangedco officials explained that the existing 110 KV transformer cannot handle rising demand from air conditioners during the hot summer.
Tangedco staff and Thakkolam police reached the site after receiving alerts. Officials assured protesters that work is under way to upgrade the transformer or add another one. The demonstrators dispersed peacefully after the assurances.