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Tower collapse: 30 hours on, Zirakpur residents still powerless
Following the collapse of three power towers around 7.30 pm on Wednesday, power was switched off at the IT City, Ramgarh Bhudda and Pabhat grids, wiping out supply to several areas in Zirakpur
A day after strong winds damaged power towers at Badi village on Airport Road on Wednesday evening, more rain on Thursday dented power department’s efforts to restore electricity, leaving several adjoining areas powerless for 30 hours straight.
Following the collapse of three power towers around 7.30 pm on Wednesday, power was switched off at the IT City, Ramgarh Bhudda and Pabhat grids, wiping out supply to Bhabat, Lohgarh, VIP Road, Balaji Enclave, Guru Nanak Nagar, Abheypur, Chhat village and Singhpura areas in Zirakpur.
Though PSPCL employees worked through the day to repair the damage, there was no electricity till the filing of the report, leaving residents vexed.
PSPCL chief engineer Sandeep Gupta said, “Over 100 electricians are working to restore power. Some areas are being provided supply from alternative grids. While the issue will be largely resolved by Thursday night, entire restoration will take a couple of days more.”
Meanwhile, in a double whammy for residents, the power outage was combined with no water supply. “We have been without electricity and water since Wednesday evening. We are unable to charge our mobile phones and laptops, so we cannot work from home or even handle household chores,” said Anuradha Singh, a resident of Zirakpur.
“We were already facing regular power cuts for the past several weeks, but on Wednesday evening, the supply was completely snapped. Eventually inverters also ran out. Amid peak summer, the outage is affecting the health of residents, particularly the elderly. PSPCL officials say electricity will be restored by Friday morning, which will mean nearly 40 hours without power,” said Manoj Das, another resident.
