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Storm aftermath: Ludhiana reels under 22-hour outage
While the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had assured citizens of robust infrastructure, the storm exposed glaring vulnerabilities; adding to the frustration, residents claimed there was no clear communication from the authorities regarding restoration timelines
Despite tall promises of uninterrupted power supply and preparations for extreme weather, residents across Ludhiana were left reeling under massive power outages , some lasting up to 22 hours after a fierce sandstorm accompanied by gusty winds swept through the city on Saturday evening.
While the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) had assured citizens of robust infrastructure, the storm exposed glaring vulnerabilities. Adding to the frustration, residents claimed there was no clear communication from the authorities regarding restoration timelines. Many alleged repeated calls to helplines went unanswered.
“The power went out early evening and didn’t return till the next morning. We had no updates from PSPCL despite several complaints,” said a resident from Model Town.
Power supply crumbles despite heavy investment
The power supply crisis comes in sharp contrast to recent claims made by Power Minister Harbhajan Singh ETO, who on May 3, 2025, announced transformative upgrades to Ludhiana’s power infrastructure during the 2024–25 fiscal year. These included a ₹221-crore investment in upgrading transformers, modernising over 900 km of high- and low-tension lines, and replacing outdated ACSR wires with HTLS conductors.
Along this, on March 9 PSPCL central zone has initiated a series of projects worth ₹265 crore aimed at strengthening the electricity supply in Ludhiana and its surrounding areas. The investment included the installation of 234 new distribution transformers, 37 new feeders, and bifurcation of several feeder lines
Yet, the storm left 183 feeders of 11 KV lines down, plunging multiple localities into darkness. The worst affected were under the Focal Point division (58 feeders), Janta Nagar (50), Aggar Nagar (33), Model Town (26), and Estate division (23).
Manpower crisis worsens restoration efforts
Further complicating matters is a severe manpower crisis. The technical staff responsible for complaint handling wagons and bikes, mostly outsourced are on an indefinite strike, leaving restoration work solely in the hands of the already overstretched regular staff.
Official data reveals that 76% of lineman and assistant lineman posts are vacant in Ludhiana. The city has only 1,196 such personnel to cater to over 17 lakh power consumers.
“The situation is so grave that our field staff is taking help from daily wagers to carry out basic restoration tasks. This clearly shows the kind of strain we are under”, revealed a senior PSPCL official on the condition of anonymity.
Infra damage
The storm also caused extensive infrastructure damage. Across Ludhiana district, 691 electric poles and 183 transformers were damaged, with losses estimated at ₹2.76 crore. The sub-urban circle bore the worst of it, with 130 transformers damaged with Jagraon (58), Raikot (30), Lalton Kalan (19), Adda Dakha (12), and Ahmedgarh (11). Within Ludhiana city limits, 32 transformers and 146 poles were reported damaged, along with 5.5 km of ACSR lines.
Surge in complaints
Officials from PSPCL’s central zone reported that a total of 39,639 complaints were registered following the storm which usually were around 24,000. So far, 32,560 complaints have been resolved. Among the divisions, Aggar Nagar recorded the highest number of complaints at 8,974, followed by Model Town with 6,731, Focal Point with 5,019, and Janta Nagar with 1,800.
Over 50 trees uprooted across city
High-speed winds accompanied by rain showers that took the city by the storm on Saturday evening, uprooted more than 50 trees across residential and commercial areas in Ludhiana. The sudden storm left a trail of fallen trees that damaged parked vehicles, snapped electricity lines, and blocked several roads, officials familiar with the matter said.
The worst affected include Patel Nagar, BRS Nagar I-Block, Model Gram, Dugri, and various sectors of Rishi Nagar, including A and Z Blocks. Residents reported severe disruptions, with fallen trees blocking roads and crushing vehicles. Khullar Street on Bindraban Road in Ward No 70 also bore the brunt of the storm.
Voicing his concerns, Dilbagh Singh, a resident of Rishi Nagar said, “The storm brought down multiple trees in our area, and several of them fell directly on the electricity lines. We’ve been without power since evening, and with the roads partially blocked by debris, it’s been difficult for anyone to step out. It’s been a long and exhausting night for all of us.”
Junior engineer Kirpal Singh from the horticulture wing of municipal corporation confirmed the extent of the damage, by stating, “Around 50 trees have been uprooted in several parts of the city. We are clearing the pathways after receiving complaints from affected areas,” he said.
More thunderstorms expected this week
After a thunderstorm, followed by light right, swept through the city Saturday evening, the maximum temperature fell by around 7°C, 3.6°C less than the normal for the day, bringing a much-needed respite from soaring temperature that had hovered above 40°C for over ten days.
The city was hit by a strong thunderstorm with gusty wind flowing as fast as 50-60 kmph which was followed by light amounts of rain, a total of 3.2 mm, on Saturday evening, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The maximum temperature on Saturday was 42°C, which fell to 35.2°C on Sunday. The minimum temperature also saw a fall of around 3°C. On Saturday the minimum temperature was 27°C and on Sunday it fell to 23.4°C, a degree less than the normal for the day.
The thunderstorms were caused due to an interaction between the higher westerly winds and lower easterly winds.
“There were westerlies from the Mediterranean which are around 8-10 km above the ground and easterlies from the Arabian sea which are just 1 km above the ground. The interaction of these winds caused the strong storm that swept across north India yesterday,” said director of IMD’s Chandigarh centre, Surender Paul.
If not as strong as yesterday, thunderstorm like conditions were possible for at least in the coming two to three days, he cautioned.
The IMD’s daily bulletin also noted that “isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph” were likely over Punjab during May 25-31.
However, he also said that strong rains that can affect the weather significantly were only likely by May end.
As per the IMD’s latest weekly weather forecast for the city, the temperature is likely to rise but will stay below 40°C in the coming week.
