E-Paper
Five-hour power cuts hit Ludhiana again as grid stress deepens
The repeated evening outages have disrupted industrial activity, while residents in several parts of Ludhiana continue to face prolonged power cuts
Prefer HTon Google
Several parts of Ludhiana faced five-hour power cuts from 7pm to midnight for the third consecutive day on Sunday, as the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) continued the restrictions to manage power demand amid a shortage and keep the state grid stable.
The cuts were imposed on selected Category-II and Category-III feeders connected to the 66-kV substations at Kanganwal, Giaspura, Singla Cycle and Pawa.
The repeated evening outages have disrupted industrial activity, while residents in several parts of Ludhiana continue to face prolonged power cuts. The situation has been particularly difficult amid hot and humid weather, when fans and coolers remain essential.
Powercom had imposed similar five-hour outages on selected Category-II and Category-III feeders on Friday and Saturday as part of its measures to manage the available power and maintain grid stability. Residents in Ludhiana’s suburban and rural areas had also reported late-night outages earlier in the week, with some areas facing prolonged interruptions.
From residential to industrial feeders
The sequence of restrictions over the past week shows how the pressure on the power system has spread from household-heavy feeders to mixed residential-industrial and industrial consumers. Category-I feeders, including UPSC feeders carrying a substantial household and residential load, were among the first to face restrictions.
As the shortage persisted, restrictions were extended to Category-II and Category-III feeders, with several industrial feeders now being specifically curtailed. For industries, repeated restrictions affect production planning and operating schedules.
On Sunday, the state grid was carrying a load of 15,439 MW at 1.40pm, while gross generation stood at 4,469 MW and drawal at 10,971 MW, according to official documents.
A senior PSPCL official, requesting anonymity, said the restrictions were essentially a load-management measure to prevent the grid from coming under excessive stress.
“The curtailment is being done to manage the available power and keep the grid within safe operating limits. With generation-side constraints continuing, controlled load reduction is necessary to prevent a larger system disturbance,” the official said.
The official said the measures were primarily aimed at protecting grid stability during the shortage. The restrictions were not intended to augment capacity or provide additional capacity to overloaded distribution transformers; the immediate objective was to ensure that the overall grid did not come under excessive load.
Strict limits for industrial feeders
The latest directions have also put strict limits on the amount of power that can be supplied to 66-kV Category-II and Category-III industrial consumers during the shortage. Category-II feeders can supply up to 10% of their maximum demand, while Category-III feeders can receive only up to 2% of their maximum demand.
The concerned ASE/P&M divisions and field staff have been instructed to monitor the load in real time. If the prescribed limit is breached, the breaker of the concerned feeder has to be switched off.
For industries, the five-hour shutdown is becoming a major operational problem, particularly because the cuts fall during the evening when many units are still operating. Industrial consumers said machines and production processes cannot always be stopped and restarted according to a fixed power-cut schedule, affecting production planning and operating schedules.
Tripping, snapping add to disruption
The shortage is also creating additional pressure on Ludhiana’s distribution network. With available feeders carrying increased loads, cases of feeder tripping and snapping have increased, according to field-level inputs.
Officials and consumers have pointed to rising demand as one of the factors behind the increased stress on feeders. When one feeder is switched off, the load on other available feeders can rise, increasing the possibility of tripping and faults and adding unscheduled outages to the planned cuts.
Outages add to resident’s woes
The situation is particularly difficult for residents because the cuts are occurring amid hot and humid weather, when fans and coolers remain essential.
Subhash Singh, a resident of Giaspura, said, “Power cuts have become a daily problem over the past week. The electricity usually goes off in the evening when the humidity is at its peak, making it difficult for children and elderly people to stay indoors.”
Sunita Sharma, a resident of Shimlapuri, said, “The biggest problem is the uncertainty. We are never sure when the power will go or when it will return. Household work gets disrupted, and sleeping at night has become difficult because of the frequent outages.”
Abhishek Verma, a resident of Dhandari Kalan, said, “Five-hour power cuts are becoming unbearable. With the hot and humid weather, it is difficult to manage without fans and coolers. We hope the situation improves soon.”
