Over 180 trees collapse, power outages across Delhi during Sunday storm

On Sunday, wind speeds in Delhi peaked around 2am, reaching 82 km/h at Safdarjung and 72 km/h at Palam`

Trees are often the first casualties when storms strike Delhi, with hundreds toppling onto roads and power infrastructure, leading to widespread outages. During Sunday’s early morning spell, complaints regarding damage to at least 180 trees were recorded by various agencies. The storm also caused power disruptions across the city, as uprooted trees and broken branches brought down power cables and poles.

A fallen tree on Motilal Nehru Marg in New Delhi on Sunday. (Arvind Yadav/HT Photo)

On Sunday, wind speeds in Delhi peaked around 2am, reaching 82 km/h at Safdarjung and 72 km/h at Palam, according to the IMD. A senior PWD official said over 168 complaints related to trees were received, though many concerned leaning branches and trimming. However, 142 were specifically about trees that had fallen across the city.

“Many of these complaints have been filed by the police. We are also transferring the complaints to other departments in case the site falls in their jurisdiction,” the PWD official said.

Tree fall complaints came from Paschim Vihar, Mukherjee Nagar, Vijay Nagar Road, GK 1, Green Park, Aruna Asaf Ali Marg, Chelmsford Road, New Delhi Railway Station, and RK Puram, among others.

The New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC) reported 34 tree-felling-related complaints, received from areas including UPSC Lane, Man Singh Road, Tughlaq Road, Panchsheel Marg, the National Museum on Janpath, Chanakyapuri, and Malcha Marg. “Most of these complaints were resolved in the early hours,” an NDMC official added.

A senior Delhi Fire Service officer said five such calls were attended between 1am and 7am, and no injuries were reported.

Experts pointed out that while quick-reaction teams and “tree ambulances” can help, basic preventive measures like deconcretising trees are still not being followed by agencies in the capital. As per a 2013 National Green Tribunal order, all trees in Delhi must be deconcretised, with a ₹10,000 fine applicable per tree for non-compliance.

Power cuts

Power supply across large parts of the capital was disrupted, as fallen trees and branches damaged electrical infrastructure during the storm. Discoms confirmed that toppled trees directly caused much of the outage, either by snapping cables or damaging poles. Affected areas included Chhatarpur, Bawana, Rohini Sectors 22 and 25, Narela, Sultanpuri, Badli, Mangolpuri, Pitampura, Rithala village, Mundka, Vikas Puri, Tagore Garden, Model Town, Mukherjee Nagar, Mayapuri, and Karawal Nagar.

“Our teams were immediately pressed into action and restoration work began on priority. As a safety measure, power supply was also temporarily suspended in some areas and restored once conditions normalised,” a Tata Power official said.

A BSES official added that disruptions were mainly caused by waterlogging and tree falls onto electrical lines, plunging neighbourhoods into darkness. “In most cases, power was restored quickly. However, in some pockets, restoration took longer due to two main reasons — waiting for water to recede and repairing infrastructure damaged by fallen trees. As a precaution, we had to temporarily switch off supply in certain areas to prevent electrocution and ensure public safety,” the official said.