Residents of a small apartment complex in Dilsukhnagar, Hyderabad, are facing an unexpected financial burden 15 years after moving in. The electricity department has issued a notice requiring the installation of a transformer, citing increased power load beyond 20 kilowatts.

The eight-flat building, constructed in 2009, originally had nine separate electrical connections. Now, the power company claims the total load has surpassed safe limits, demanding residents invest in a transformer costing over ₹3 lakhs.

This situation isn’t unique. Across Greater Hyderabad, nearly 10,000 buildings have been identified as exceeding the 20-kilowatt threshold without proper transformers. The total cost to address this issue could surpass ₹300 crores.

The power company is conducting a city-wide survey, mapping each electrical pole and transformer with GPS to accurately track power usage. This comes as a response to increased power demands from modern appliances, especially air conditioners, and concerns about unauthorized construction and unofficial power usage increases.

Residents are questioning why proper connections weren’t installed during construction and if corrupt practices between builders and electricity officials are to blame. Many feel it’s unfair to burden current residents with these costs and argue the power company should cover transformer expenses for older buildings and smaller apartments.

This highlights the practical challenges of rapid urban population growth and the need for stricter enforcement of building codes.

-Sanyogita