LUDHIANA, May 21: Parts of Punjab’s Malwa region were plunged into darkness on Wednesday after a powerful storm uprooted trees and severely damaged power supply lines, disrupting electricity in both urban and rural areas.
The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) said that despite deploying all available manpower in the field, full restoration of electricity will not be possible before Thursday evening.
“We have deputed all our resources, but many high-power lines have been damaged. It will take several hours to restore supply,” a top PSPCL official said. The storm caused a steep drop in power demand from over 14,000 MW to 5,800 MW within hours.
This is the second major storm this month to impact power infrastructure in the region. Officials noted that over ₹15 crore in damages have already been incurred due to recent storms in April and May, with the latest spell expected to add further crores to the losses.
“Extreme thunderstorms like these are becoming more frequent and intense, pointing to the accelerating impact of climate change in Punjab,” a senior PSPCL engineer said, adding that over 500 fully grown trees had been uprooted or damaged in recent months.
“Our current focus is on restoring power supply. Assessing total losses will follow,” another official added.
Read more: Storm, Rain Sweep Tricity, Punjab Parts
