Power outages in SoBo lead short-staffed BEST to outsource cable maintenance

BEST Undertaking plans to outsource maintenance of its 80-year-old underground power cable network in Mumbai to a third party for two to three years.

The move is driven by an acute manpower shortage – over 3,000 vacancies in the supply division – and rising cable faults, especially in South Mumbai (wards A–E, Girgaum, Bhuleshwar, Kalbadevi).

BEST received 2,500-plus outage complaints from South Mumbai this summer and 7,500 citywide in 2025, up nearly 1,000 from 2024.

BEST stopped recruiting in 2019 as part of austerity measures, leading to a 50-70% decline in maintenance workforce strength.

Cable age (many laid 1985-1990), restricted digging by BMC on cement concrete roads, and deep faults beneath railway tracks delay repairs.