Archive · 13 Sep 2026
Power Outages Spark Protests as Udhayanidhi Criticises Government
People in several parts of Tamil Nadu said their electricity kept going off without warning.
Some residents held demonstrations using candles and torches.
Others blocked roads because they said earlier complaints had not solved the problem.
Factories also said the outages and weak electricity were hurting their work.
Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar said a disruption in wind-power generation caused the shortage.
He said other states were affected too.
The minister said the government bought enough electricity and restored regular supply on Thursday evening.
Udhayanidhi Stalin disagreed and said the government was not doing enough.
He urged officials to focus on fixing people’s everyday problems.
Residents in several Tamil Nadu districts protested unscheduled power cuts and low-voltage supply.
Protesters in Tirunelveli, Tiruchi and Karur reported repeated outages lasting from more than an hour to six hours.
Industrial units near Sengundram said power interruptions were affecting production and causing financial losses.
Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar attributed the shortage to disrupted wind-power generation affecting several states.
Udhayanidhi Stalin blamed the government’s handling of the crisis, while the minister said adequate power had been procured and supply restored.
- Who
- Residents, industrial units, Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar and Opposition leader Udhayanidhi Stalin.
- What
- Unscheduled power cuts and low-voltage supply triggered protests and political criticism.
- When
- Over the past two days; some residents reported outages continuing for more than 10 days, and regular supply was said to have been restored Thursday evening.
- Where
- Several Tamil Nadu districts, including Tirunelveli, Tiruchi, Karur, Tiruvallur, Pudukottai and Namakkal.
- Why
- Residents and businesses said the outages disrupted daily life and production; the minister attributed the shortage to disrupted wind-power generation.
Residents and Opposition Criticism
Government Explanation and Response
Cause of the outages
Residents and Opposition Criticism
Udhayanidhi Stalin and protesting residents attributed the continuing disruption to inadequate government action and unresolved local complaints.
Government Explanation and Response
Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar attributed the shortage to disrupted wind-power generation, saying several states were affected.
Whether the crisis was resolved
Residents and Opposition Criticism
Residents said repeated outages and low voltage continued, while Udhayanidhi said people were still being forced to protest.
Government Explanation and Response
Nirmal Kumar said the state procured sufficient electricity and that regular supply had been restored in all areas Thursday evening.
Impact on the public and economy
Residents and Opposition Criticism
Residents said outages disrupted daily life, while industrial executives said they caused production problems and financial losses.
Government Explanation and Response
The government’s stated response was to obtain electricity through the common power distribution network to restore supply.
- Main issue
- Unscheduled electricity cuts and low-voltage supply across several areas.
- Reported outage duration
- Four to six hours regularly in parts of Karur, and more than an hour in parts of Pudukottai and Namakkal.
- Resident protests
- Demonstrations and road blockades were reported in Tirunelveli, Tiruchi and Karur.
- Business impact
- Factories at the SIDCO Women’s Industrial Park near Sengundram reported production disruption and financial losses.
- Government explanation
- Electricity Minister Nirmal Kumar blamed a disruption in wind-power generation affecting several states.
- Government response
- The minister said Tamil Nadu purchased required electricity through the common power distribution network.
- Political criticism
- Udhayanidhi Stalin accused the government of using diversionary tactics instead of addressing the crisis.