Mohali, May 4: Punjab’s electricity infrastructure suffered a significant blow this weekend as heavy rains and hailstorms left a trail of destruction across multiple districts. Initial assessments suggest a loss of approximately Rs 8 crore, driven by the collapse of 1,500 electricity poles and damage to 70 kilometers of HT/LT power lines.
The districts of Ludhiana, Amritsar, Patiala, and Mohali were among those hardest hit by the natural disaster. Beyond the broken poles, the state’s utility provider noted that a major 220 kV transmission tower was damaged, and over 300 transformers required immediate repair or replacement. Despite the widespread damage to the 11-kV feeder system, officials affirmed that the 66 kV transmission network managed to withstand the storm’s impact.
The utility recorded a surge in service disruptions, noting that outages were three times more frequent than during the same window last year. “More than 83,000 electricity-related complaints were registered across Punjab,” an official stated, adding that repair crews worked around the clock to restore connectivity. While the majority of issues were resolved swiftly, officials noted that the remaining 30 percent of cases required extensive labor due to the severity of the structural damage.
