Grid failure behind N Goa electricity outage, says power minister

Panaji: The major power outage that crippled parts of North Goa, including the North Goa District Hospital and the coastal belt, was triggered by a failure in the central electrical grid, power minister Ramkrishna ‘Sudin’ Dhavalikar said on Wednesday. He also said that the Amona power substation, which is a critical node in the state’s power network, has been crippled by an equipment failure for which spares have to be procured from South Goa.

Goa saw a three-hour power outage around Mapusa, Anjuna, Vagator, and other parts during the blistering summer. The outage began at around 4pm on Monday, and fluctuations continued to cripple essential services including lifts, lighting systems, air conditioning units, and critical medical equipment.

“A transformer at Amona got burnt, and we did not have an extra transformer of that capacity. Once we book such a transformer, it takes two years to get the replacement,” Dhavalikar said, acknowledging the structural vulnerability at the heart of Goa’s power supply. A standby transformer has since been sourced from Cuncolim and is expected to restore normal supply by late Thursday night.

The minister pointed to Goa’s dependence on the central grid as the underlying problem. According to govt, Goa draws power through the grid from Maharashtra and Madhya Pradesh. “The power grid is under Centre’s jurisdiction. When there is a grid failure, we face a problem. It is not in our hands,” he said, explaining why the northern parts of the state bore the brunt of the outage.

The admission comes as the electricity department is simultaneously cracking down on establishments that have not upgraded their sanctioned power load, imposing hefty penalties — a move that has drawn sharp reactions from the hospitality sector. The South Goa Hoteliers Association said the industry is already under strain from LPG shortages and rising commercial gas prices, which have forced a marginal increase in food rates. The power disruptions, they said, add another layer of pressure on an already stressed sector.

Congress attributed the grid failure and equipment shortage to the incompetence and negligence of BJP govt, particularly chief minister Pramod Sawant and Dhavalikar.