Power cuts lasting several hours hit parts of Ludhiana’s rural and suburban areas on Tuesday night, with consumers in the Khanna and Suburban circles reporting outages from around 10 pm until the early hours of Wednesday. The disruptions came as Punjab’s power system faced a peak deficit of 1,895 MW, forcing PSPCL to restrict supply on selected feeders.
Several households said they were left without fans and coolers during the hot and humid night. In some affected areas, supply was restored only around 2 am, while restrictions continued at different locations as the utility managed the strained power system.
Harjeet Singh, a resident of an affected area, said his power supply went off around 10 pm and was restored only around 2 am. “It was extremely difficult to spend the night without electricity. The heat is already intense and the humidity makes it worse. Five to six hours without power at night is a major inconvenience,” he said.
Prabhjot Kaur, another consumer, said the prolonged outage made it difficult for residents to sleep. “The electricity went off at night when everyone was at home. Without fans or coolers, it became very difficult to sleep,” she said.
PSPCL officials had scheduled restrictions on Wednesday evening as well, with UPS domestic supply affected from 7 pm to 8.30 pm and Category-I domestic supply from 8 pm to 10 pm.
{{/usCountry}}PSPCL officials had scheduled restrictions on Wednesday evening as well, with UPS domestic supply affected from 7 pm to 8.30 pm and Category-I domestic supply from 8 pm to 10 pm.
{{/usCountry}}The restrictions followed a sharp mismatch between Punjab’s electricity demand and available supply. The state’s maximum unrestricted demand touched 15,679 MW at 8.45 pm on August 25, while only 13,784 MW was available through generation and power purchase, leaving a shortfall of 1,895 MW.
Field officials were instructed around 10 pm to impose restrictions on specified feeders, including Category-I feeders, to manage the stressed system and maintain grid stability.
A senior PSPCL official said the pressure was largely due to a sharp rise in peak demand amid hot and humid conditions, besides disruptions in generation and inadequate transmission-infrastructure upgrades.
“When the gap between demand and available power becomes substantial, restrictions have to be imposed on selected feeders to maintain system stability and prevent a much larger disruption,” the official said.
Of the 13,784 MW available during the peak period, 9,093 MW came through outside-state ATC utilisation, 2,890 MW from independent power producers, 983 MW from own hydro sources and 796 MW from thermal generation, according to the power-system statement.
The official said PSPCL was continuously monitoring the situation and arranging additional power to minimise disruptions. However, if demand remains high and the gap widens, further restrictions could be imposed on selected feeders in the coming days.
PSPCL threatens disciplinary action over Aug 27 mass leave
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has warned employees against joining the August 27 statewide agitation, directing officials not to sanction leave for those participating in the mass leave or protest except on medical grounds.
According to a notice issued by the PSPCL management on Wednesday, employees who participate in the protest or remain absent from duty will have their absence marked and will not be paid for the period under the “no work, no pay” principle.
The notice also warns that a break in service may be recorded for unauthorised absence and disciplinary proceedings could be initiated under applicable rules.
The warning comes as PSPCL employees in Ludhiana are expected to join the statewide agitation called by government employees’ and pensioners’ organisations.
The protestors are demanding release of pending 18% dearness allowance arrears, restoration of the Old Pension Scheme, implementation of the Sixth Pay Commission and withdrawal of the July 17, 2020 government order.