Plunged into darkness: Strong winds trigger widespread outages across Ludhiana
A senior PSPCL official from the central zone stated that a 132 kV transmission line in Doraha broke down around 8 pm due to the intensity of the winds, plunging nearby areas into darkness
Strong winds, accompanied by light rain, swept across Ludhiana and its adjoining rural areas on Sunday night, triggering widespread power outages. According to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials, the inclement weather led to significant technical faults in the power network, especially in feeders and transmission lines, primarily due to fallen tree branches.
A senior PSPCL official from the central zone stated that a 132 kV transmission line in Doraha broke down around 8 pm due to the intensity of the winds, plunging nearby areas into darkness.
“Strong winds lead to tree branches snapping and falling on overhead lines. This causes line faults, tripping of feeders, and in some cases, physical damage to transmission infrastructure. Power was gradually restored by Monday morning,” the official explained.
In Ludhiana city, areas under the CMC division, Focal Point, and Sunder Nagar were among the worst affected. Officials noted that between 7.46 pm and 10 pm, multiple feeders tripped due to weather-induced faults.
Amrinder Singh, executive engineer (XEN), Focal Point division, said they registered 1,002 complaints during the storm, a massive spike from the usual 100 to 200, complaints they registered on regular days. “Most complaints were about faults in low tension (LT) and high tension (HT) lines. Our teams worked through the night and resolved the issues by Monday morning.”
Rajinder Singh, XEN of the CMC division, said eight to ten feeders in his division faced disruptions, with 200 complaints, which is five times the daily average. “The feeders suffered faults mainly due to snapped tree branches hitting the lines during high winds,” he added.
“Such weather conditions, such as storms, heavy rain, or strong winds, can cause significant disruptions to both LT and HT power lines. These conditions often lead to insulation failures, where moisture or dirt weakens the insulating materials protecting electrical components, resulting in short circuits or power outages.
Furthermore, strong winds or storms can knock down tree branches or other debris, which may physically contact the power lines, leading to short circuits, arcing, or structural damage to the lines and poles, leading to prolonged outages,” officials said.
