Surging power demand amid heatwave strains Chandigarh’s electrical infrastructure
To address the strain and enhance supply reliability, CPDL is set to induct four new power transformers, each with a capacity of 20 MW, in a phased manner
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Officials at CPDL confirmed that the infrastructure is currently operating at peak capacity with little to no time for system recovery (Representative image/File)As the city grapples with severe heatwaves, Chandigarh’s power infrastructure is buckling under sustained and record-breaking electricity demand, including during night hours.
CPDL (Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited) has said that this prolonged stress has led to frequent underground cable faults and pressure on distribution transformers, raising concerns about the system’s resilience.
Officials at CPDL confirmed that the infrastructure is currently operating at peak capacity with little to no time for system recovery. “For the past few days, we have been managing an exceptional peak in electricity demand ever recorded in the city. On June 12, demand was more than 400 MW in 51 slots during 12 am to 12:30 am, 11 am to 7:15 pm and 8 pm to 12 am. We have successfully managed this load without much constraints, except some underground cable faults due to overloading,” CPDL Director Arun Kumar Verma, said
To address the strain and enhance supply reliability, CPDL is set to induct four new power transformers, each with a capacity of 20 MW, in a phased manner to bolster the grid’s capacity and offer greater stability during peak load conditions.
In response to rising fault incidents, CPDL has reinforced its on-ground resources. Alongside the existing five Fault Response Teams (FRTs) deployed across four sub-divisions, more technical staff have been added to ensure timely restoration and maintenance.
To handle increasing complaint volumes and reduce wait times, CPDL is expanding its helpline (9240216666) capacity from 20 to 50 call lines. The number of customer service executives is also being increased to speed up complaint resolution and improve consumer experience.
The power distribution company also flagged the issue of outdated helpline numbers still being used by residents. These numbers were formerly operated by the National Institute of Electronics and Information Technology (NIELIT) and Citizen Facilitation Centre (CFC). Since these are no longer in service and weren’t transferred to CPDL, they are leading to confusion and missed complaint reports.
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