Ludhiana experienced severe weather on Sunday morning as strong winds and rain disrupted power supply across large parts of the district, affecting both urban and rural areas. The storm caused significant damage to infrastructure belonging to the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), leading to prolonged outages in several localities.
Damage to Key Substations
One of the main power substations in the Lalton area was hit by high-speed winds and rainfall. PSPCL officials reported that the severe weather damaged multiple transmission towers and overhead power lines, resulting in interruptions that lasted up to 10 hours in some areas. The exact extent of infrastructure damage has not yet been assessed, but sources in the power department indicated that losses could run into crores of rupees. Thousands of complaints were received from consumers throughout the day, adding pressure on field staff.
Residents Express Frustration
Local residents expressed frustration over spending the entire day without stable electricity. The lack of power caused inconvenience in accessing basic necessities, such as operating water filtration systems and electric motors used for drawing water. Household chores were also affected, with many people unable to use essential appliances. Manvinder Kumar, executive engineer at the Lalton Kalan power substation, said extreme weather conditions can cause widespread damage in a very short span of time. "We cannot compete against nature. Even five minutes of severe weather can result in heavy losses to power infrastructure," he said.
Restoration Efforts
Kumar added that the department received complaints from various parts of Ludhiana simultaneously and efforts were made to resolve them on priority. "Around 40 officials were deployed in my area alone. The process of attending to faults and restoring supply took about 10 to 12 hours as there were several major cases," he said. Assessing infrastructure damage and compiling complaint figures will be done later, as the department's immediate focus was on restoring power supply and ensuring that consumer complaints were resolved. PSPCL officials said restoration work continued until late evening in some pockets, with teams monitoring the situation to prevent further disruptions if weather conditions worsened again.
Worst-Hit Areas
According to officials, electricity supply was affected in areas like Dehlon, Gill, Pakhowal, Lalton, and several other parts of the city. Residents from these localities began lodging complaints early in the morning as the power outage continued for most of the day. PSPCL teams remained busy throughout Sunday addressing faults and restoring supply. The storm's impact highlights the vulnerability of power infrastructure to extreme weather events, and officials are working to prevent similar disruptions in the future.
