E-Paper
32 tenders floated: PSPCL defers ₹120cr project to clear Ludhiana’s dangling overhead wires till Oct 15
PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans said the corporation had consciously held back large-scale execution to avoid imposing lengthy power cuts during the peak-demand period
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has deferred its ₹120.71-crore project to clear Ludhiana’s dangling and low-hanging overhead wires till October 15, as the work at several locations requires power shutdowns of 10 to 12 hours. The utility said such prolonged outages could not be undertaken during the peak summer and paddy season, when electricity demand is high and uninterrupted supply is crucial for consumers, farmers and industries.
Despite the deferment, the project has moved ahead on paper, with PSPCL having floated 32 tenders and issued work orders for 20 packages. However, substantial physical work is yet to begin, leaving large parts of the city grappling with the same tangled network of electrical, telecom, internet and dish cables.
PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Singh Hans said the corporation had consciously held back large-scale execution to avoid imposing lengthy power cuts during the peak-demand period. “Maintenance work requires 10 to 12 hours of shutdown. During the peak summer season, consumers were already facing difficulties, so we did not want to impose such long cuts. It was also necessary to ensure electricity supply to industries and farmers during the paddy season. This is why the work could not be started on a large scale. The execution will begin after October 15, once weather conditions improve,” Hans said.
The deferment leaves PSPCL with roughly five months to complete the project before the March 2027 deadline. The corporation will have to accelerate execution once the work begins to complete the remaining packages within the stipulated timeframe.
The project is an expansion of PSPCL’s earlier initiative to rationalise Ludhiana’s cluttered overhead wiring. The utility had launched a pilot project in September 2025 to remove non-electric wires, internet and dish cables, multiple joints and low-hanging electrical lines from power poles.
By January 2026, PSPCL had approved a larger citywide plan covering major commercial, residential and industrial stretches. The project was then estimated at around ₹99 crore, with about 20 tenders proposed. The latest expansion has raised the project outlay to ₹120.71 crore and the number of tenders to 32.
The proposed intervention extends beyond simply removing dangling wires. PSPCL plans to restructure the electrical network, raise low-hanging power lines, eliminate multiple joints and streamline the dense network of third-party telecom, internet and dish cables running along electricity poles.
The exercise has also faced several operational hurdles, including poor bidder response, a shortage of skilled manpower and difficulties in coordinating with telecom and internet service providers whose cables share the overhead infrastructure.
The need for the project remains particularly evident in congested commercial and old-city areas. Low-hanging wires have been reported brushing rooftops and shop signboards and coming dangerously close to passing vehicles in areas including Chaura Bazaar, Meena Bazaar, Gur Mandi and Daresi, besides several residential and industrial pockets.
The monsoon further heightens the safety risk, with sagging wires, strong winds and waterlogging potentially increasing the possibility of electrical accidents. The tangled overhead network also makes maintenance and emergency repair work more difficult.
