Backup Gurugram power line cleared after Friday’s blackout

Officials said the delayed approval stalled a key alternate power supply project linking Sector 65 and 56 substations.

Two days after a major power outage disrupted electricity supply across parts of Gurugram, the Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam Limited (HVPNL) on Monday received approval from Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) to lay a transmission line over its underground oil pipeline, a move officials said will strengthen alternate power supply arrangements in the city.

Backup Gurugram power line cleared after Friday’s blackout

Officials said the ₹22 crore project involves laying a 6.5-km transmission line to interconnect the 220kV substations in Sector 65 and Sector 56. The work began in February 2025 and was originally scheduled for completion by May.

According to HVPNL officials, six kilometres of the transmission line had already been laid, but work on the remaining 500 metres was pending for nearly two months due to lack of approval from IOCL, as the line has to pass over the company’s underground oil pipeline connecting the Mathura and Panipat refineries.

An HVPNL official said they were informed that the approval was granted only after obtaining clearances from all concerned authorities within IOCL, a process that took considerable time.

Officials said the Sector 56 substation is further connected to the Sector 52 substation, and both currently draw power from the 220kV substation in Sector 72, where a blast in a current transformer triggered Friday night’s blackout.

A senior HVPNL official said the outage could have been avoided had the approval arrived earlier. “Had the approval arrived earlier, the transmission line project would have gotten completed, and Friday’s blackout could have been avoided, as they would have had an alternate source of electricity supply from the Sector 65 substation to power up the Sector 56 and 52 substations,” the official said.

Officials said the Sector 65 substation is linked to the high-capacity 400kV substation in Kadarpur.

“We have alerted the contractor to immediately start the pending work. The project will be now completed by June 15,” the official added.

The Sector 56 substation also supplies electricity to the Rapid Metro, which remained non-operational for 43 minutes during the five-hour blackout.

Officials said the new interconnection will reduce Old Gurugram’s dependence on the Sector 72 substation by enabling Sector 56 and Sector 52 substations to receive electricity from two alternate sources. Eight substations, including three 220kV substations in sectors 52, 56 and 57, and five 66kV substations, were shut during the outage.

Officials said that although the Sector 56 substation is also connected to the 220kV substation in Palli, Faridabad, but this transmission line could not be activated during Friday’s outage because a ₹15 lakh circuit breaker there was lying defunct.

Anil Malik, HVPNL executive engineer (Gurugram division), said the Faridabad transmission line has now been restored. “Once the new transmission line also becomes functional, substations at Sector 56 and 52 and those of 66kV connected to them will have power supply from three different sources, including the one in Sector 72,” he said.

“In case we face any future issue in the Sector 72 station, we will be able to continue power supply to Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam Limited and other entities without any issue,” he added.