Gurgaon experienced scorching heat on Tuesday as the maximum temperature soared to 44 degrees Celsius, which is 3.4 degrees above the normal for this time of the year. The city remains under a heatwave alert until May 26. The spike in temperature was accompanied by widespread power outages, with some areas facing electricity cuts lasting for several hours due to faults in substations.
Power Infrastructure Under Strain
Gurgaon has a total of 1,261 substations of 11kV capacity. On Tuesday, 168 of these substations reported 113 tripping incidents, with an average duration of two minutes each. Additionally, there were 15 breakdowns, each lasting over two hours on average. Most of these breakdowns were attributed to damaged cables and broken conductors caused by the intense heat. The city's 86 substations of 33kV capacity did not report any tripping, but one major breakdown occurred at the Sector 95 substation due to a faulty switch, leading to an outage of nearly two hours.
State-Wide Impact
Across Haryana, the situation was similarly challenging. Out of 6,740 substations of 11kV in the state, 708 feeders tripped in a single day. Among the 599 substations of 33kV, 33 reported 44 tripping incidents and 15 breakdowns, with an average downtime of 1.51 hours.
Residents Face Hardships
Residents reported that the outages were most disruptive during the peak afternoon and night hours when the heat was unbearable. Ruchi Mehta, a resident of Sector 50, said the power kept going off every few minutes, making it difficult to cope with the heat. In Sector 48, where outages lasted longer, frustration was palpable. Rajesh Anand, who works from home, said, “We had three major cuts today. One of them lasted almost an hour. With this kind of heat, it’s impossible to concentrate or even sit comfortably.”
Long-Duration Outages
Officials noted that several long-duration outages were caused by faults in key feeders. In Gurgaon’s Circle 1, power was out for nearly six hours, and in Circle 2 for about two hours. A faulty 33kV substation plunged Sector 95 into complete darkness during the night. Residents in newer housing areas also faced recurring interruptions. “The tripping is constant. Fans slow down, lights flicker, and then everything shuts off for a few minutes. It’s exhausting,” said Anita Sharma of Sector 92.
Outlook and Response
With temperatures expected to rise further this week, the pressure on Gurgaon’s power infrastructure is likely to intensify. Officials said teams are working to replace damaged cables, repair conductors, and stabilize overloaded feeders. For now, residents are hoping that the outages do not worsen as the heatwave continues.
