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Ludhiana: At ₹100 crore, PSPCL’s infra plan eyes curbing outages in one year
According to official data, the total planned expenditure has been pegged at over ₹100.71 crore and is slated for completion by March 2027
As Ludhiana braces for another high demand summer, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) has chalked out an outage reduction plan (ORP) worth over ₹100 crore for the ongoing financial year, signalling a large scale overhaul of the city’s stressed distribution network, officials familiar with the matter said.
The plan comes at a time when Ludhiana, being the industrial backbone, records some of the highest urban power loads in the state. During peak summer, transformer failures and feeder faults often lead to prolonged outages, drawing complaints from residents and industrial units alike, officials said.
According to official data, the total planned expenditure has been pegged at over ₹100.71 crore and is slated for completion by March 2027. The focus areas include feeder bifurcation, installation of new transformers and loads enhancement of existing transformers across the Ludhiana district and its adjoining areas.
As per the plan, more than 90 feeder bifurcation works will be undertaken within Ludhiana city while 27 such works are slated for suburban and rural pockets. Feeder bifurcation is considered a key intervention in high load areas as it involves splitting overloaded lines to distribute electricity more evenly and improving voltage stability especially during peak demand months, officials said.
The transformer augmentation forms the biggest component of the plan. Nearly 700 transformers in Ludhiana city and close to 100 in nearby areas are slated for load enhancement. In addition, over 400 new transformers will be installed across the central zone to reduce stress and prevent burnout during high demand.
As per data, highlighting the month wise spending targets; May, July, December and March are projected to see the highest expenditure. December alone accounts for the largest chunk of the annual outlay with ₹17.32 crore followed by significant allocations in March ( ₹11.96 crore) as the financial year draws to a close.
Power utility to set up 10 new substations
Alongside the ₹100-crore outage reduction plan, the PSPCL has also proposed to establish 10 new 66 kV substations across Ludhiana to cater to the city’s rising power demands.
In Ludhiana East circle, new 66 kV substations have been proposed at Sector 32 in Jamalpur and at Phase 4 under focal point divisions, as this area is witnessing steady industrial growth. Additionally, under the Sunder Nagar division, a 66 kV substation is planned at Dana Mandi which caters to both commercial and densely populated residential pockets.
In Ludhiana West, a 66 kV substation is proposed at SBS Nagar under the Model Town division. Under the Aggar Nagar division, substations are listed at Jassian and Ayali, two rapidly developing areas with rising load demand. Another 66 kV substation is proposed at Jaspal Bangar under the Estate division, aimed at strengthening supply in adjoining urban and peripheral areas.
PSPCL chief engineer Jagdev Hans said,” The proposed works will be carried out in a phased manner with purpose to strengthen the power infrastructure ahead of summer and minimise outages during peak demand.”
