In a city which sees heavy rains for nearly four months every year, more than one-third of BEST substations have leaky roofs. As key components of the distribution grid, substations provide power to entire localities and any problems in them can plunge the entire area they service into darkness.

Sources in the Undertaking said that 800 substations of the 2,200 across the island city between Cuffe Parade and Sion/Mahim, where the BEST supplies power have leaky roofs and ceiling slabs. This means that over 35 per cent of these substations are suffering from non-technical problems.