MOHALI, May 31 — Residents across Mohali district are enduring persistent power outages for the past 10 days, as a staff strike and deteriorating infrastructure cripple the region’s electricity supply.
Since May 20, contractual staff of the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) have been on strike, leading to unscheduled and frequent power cuts in areas including Mohali city, Kharar, Zirakpur, Dera Bassi, Nayagaon, and New Chandigarh.
The disruptions come amid sweltering summer temperatures, worsening the impact on households and businesses alike.
“Power cuts have become a daily issue with no clear schedule,” said a Zirakpur resident. “We’re left sweating in the dark for hours, sometimes more than once a day.”
According to PSPCL officials, the situation is being compounded by long-standing issues in the power infrastructure. Overloaded power transformers, outdated transmission and distribution lines, and the absence of infrastructure upgrades have all contributed to the crisis.
“As per record, there are around 19 grid sub-stations in the district, out of which around 30% are overloaded and have inadequate infrastructure to cater to the urban demand of the ever-increasing load,” said Sukhjeet Singh, PSPCL superintending engineer for the Mohali circle.
Multiple 11KV lines are running above capacity, and several 66KV grids rely on a single (radial) source of power supply. Without any backup lines or alternate routing, residents are left without relief during breakdowns.
Singh said he had recently held a meeting with officers of the Mohali circle to discuss the upkeep of the power infrastructure. However, until both staffing issues and infrastructure constraints are addressed, there appears to be little immediate respite in sight for affected residents.
