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Udupi: A power outage at the District Administration Complex in Udupi caused inconvenience to the public on Friday, forcing people to wait for around two-and-a-half hours to submit documents, verify records and obtain information.

The power supply was cut after Friday afternoon. Of the 48 offices functioning in the complex, only the ground floor offices of the Deputy Commissioner’s office continued work using generator power. Other offices were unable to function due to lack of electricity.

Several departments, including Urban and Rural Development, Audit Circle, Legal Metrology, Pension, Small Savings and Asset Liability Management, operate from the first and second floors of the complex. While some offices managed temporarily using UPS battery backup, others could not carry out any work without power.

As a result, people had to wait outside offices such as the Urban and Rural Development Department for nearly two-and-a-half hours. In some instances, visitors questioned officials about the absence of generator facilities in other parts of the building.

A similar situation was reported at the Chief Executive Officer’s office, where work was later resumed using generator power.

Officials said that the generator available at the complex belongs to the Revenue Department and supplies power only to the ground floor offices of the Deputy Commissioner’s office and the Revenue Department. Earlier, all departments had access to generator backup. However, after air conditioners were installed in some offices, increased load reportedly led to a short circuit, following which generator connections to the first and second floors were disconnected.

Some departments, including Urban and Rural Development, do not have UPS backup systems, making it difficult to carry out any work during power cuts.

With power disruptions expected to increase during the monsoon season, people expressed concern that delays in services could continue unless proper arrangements are made.