Punjab Newsline | Chandigarh
Punjab’s Power Minister Sanjeev Arora chaired a high-level meeting on Tuesday to review restoration work following the severe storms that hit the state in the early hours of May 3. He commended the efforts of Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) for their rapid and coordinated response.
Senior officials, including the Chairman, Directors, and Chief Engineers of PSPCL, attended the meeting. A detailed assessment revealed that districts such as Mohali, Patiala, Jalandhar, Ludhiana, Amritsar, and Gurdaspur were among the worst affected.
Officials reported that while the 66 kV transmission network remained largely intact, the distribution system suffered heavy damage. Around 1,300 11 kV feeders were disrupted, nearly 1,500 poles damaged, over 300 transformers affected, and more than 70 km of HT and LT lines impacted. One 220 kV transmission tower also sustained damage. The scale of outages was nearly three times higher than the same period last year, with estimated losses of about ₹8 crore.
Despite the challenges, PSPCL teams worked round the clock, attending to more than 83,000 complaints across the state. Nearly 70% of issues were resolved within two hours, while more complex cases involving infrastructure damage required additional time.
Through continuous monitoring, real-time coordination, and extensive feeder patrolling, power supply was restored to all affected areas within 24 hours, either through the main grid or alternative arrangements. Restoration of damaged infrastructure is still underway on priority.
During the meeting, the Minister directed officials to strengthen disaster preparedness, carry out preventive maintenance, upgrade infrastructure, improve response time, and enhance coordination at the field level. He also stressed the need to improve consumer grievance redressal systems.
Emphasizing zero tolerance for delays during emergencies, Arora instructed officials to remain fully prepared for similar situations in the coming months.
Reaffirming the Punjab Government’s commitment to providing reliable and uninterrupted power supply, the Minister praised the dedication of PSPCL’s field staff, engineers, and officers. He also thanked the people of Punjab for their patience and cooperation during the disruption, assuring that steps are being taken to build a more resilient power infrastructure.
