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Ludhiana court complex plunges into darkness amid seven-hour power shutdown
Disruption brings work to a standstill at as many as 45 courtrooms at the Ludhiana court complex; chorus grows for setting up power back-up
Thousands of visitors at the city court complex faced significant inconvenience as a seven-hour-long power shutdown brought work to a standstill on Monday. The disruption affected around 45 courtrooms.
The absence of a power backup system resulted in dysfunctional fans, lights, and lifts. The disruption also impacted the daily court operations, leaving litigants, lawyers, and court staff struggling to cope with adverse conditions. Lawyers and court staff also faced difficulties in carrying out their duties efficiently.
Visitors were left in the dark, forced to rely on their mobile phone lights to navigate their way through the court complex. This situation proved particularly challenging for senior citizens, who struggled to climb the stairs without proper lighting and had to rely on assistance from others.
The power outage occurred on the second working day after summer holidays when cable installation work was being carried out for an elevated road project, according to officials from the Punjab State Power Corporation.
Expressing disappointment, a visitor at the court complex said, “It was extremely frustrating to be left in the dark during such a crucial time. The lack of proper lighting and malfunctioning facilities made it nearly impossible to focus on our legal matters.”
Visitors left sweating
Soaring temperatures and humidity made things worse, with visitors being forced to endure a stifling atmosphere inside the courtrooms, aggravated by the absence of functioning fans and poor ventilation. The lack of proper lighting made it difficult for individuals to read important information related to their cases.
Frustrated, Dinesh Kumar, a visitor, said, “This is highly inconvenient for those who are already grappling with the complexities of the legal system. I had a hearing on Monday and had to reach the sixth floor of the court complex using my mobile phone light. People were finding it difficult to navigate their way.”
District bar association president Chetan Verma, meanwhile, highlighted the disruption caused by the power outage saying, “The power outage not only disrupted court proceedings but also hampered the functioning of various administrative offices within the complex. Clerks and court staff struggled to manage their work in dimly lit spaces, affecting their productivity and efficiency.”
The incident once again brought to fore the need for a reliable power backup system.
According to the advocates, barring the session judge court and rooms there are no generator facilities for the rest of the complex.
PSPCL superintending engineer Anil Sharma, said, “We have asked the department concerned for power shutdown during the weekend, but that day was not granted in view of the EO and AO exams. However, we got permission for Monday to install cable wires at the elevated road project. The power supply was restored around 3.30 pm.”
