The increasing frequency in power supply disruptions in Mylapore has certainly hit banking operations and frustrated bank customers.
Apart from the regular one-hour power cut and the monthly 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. maintenance shut down, most of the areas face frequent unscheduled power cuts.
Most banks in the neighbourhood are forced to close down some counters when the current fails. Some of them have UPS or power-back up facilities but when the power breaks are long these too fade out.
Sheela, Branch Manager at Indian Bank, Abhirampauram says that although the branch has a UPS facility it becomes very difficulty if unscheduled power failures get prolonged for over a day.
“On days when power is off for the full day for ‘maintenance’ we operate only in selected counters. So our customers are not disappointed, ” she says. “Customers don’t like to be sent to other branches just because we don’t have power.”
Kalaiarasi, Manager of Operation, State Bank of India branch on TTK Road says the branch has installed a new UPS with longer battery back up. “This was needed to prevent any disappointment for our customers, ” he said.
But at some branches, customers are politely asked to head to the neighbourhood branches when the computers and terminals have to be shut down as the power failure drags on.
Geetha is the Assistant Manager at Andhra Bank, North Mada Street, Mylapore. She says, ” Although we have battery and generator backup they fail often in our branch. We are planning to install new batteries for back up now.”
Geetha and her team realise they cannot ask their customers to go to other branches as the closest are on TTK Road and on Lazarus Church Road, R. A. Puram.
