High-velocity winds trigger 182 power breakdowns in Chandigarh, 37 electric poles damaged

Rakesh Kumar, a resident of Sector 29, said prolonged outages added to residents’ difficulties. “Trees fell on power lines early in the morning and electricity remained off for several hours. With waterlogging on roads and no power at home, it became extremely difficult, especially for elderly residents and children,” he said.
Several roads across the city were also blocked by fallen tree branches, disrupting traffic and delaying emergency services, including ambulances.

Highlighting the recurring nature of the problem, R K Garg, a Chandigarh resident and president of the Second Innings Association, said residents had repeatedly warned authorities about the need for scientific pruning and regular tree audits before the monsoon and storm season. “Despite memoranda submitted by RWAs highlighting vulnerable trees, accountability remains unclear, with no department owning responsibility for maintenance failures,” he said.

According to Chandigarh Power Distribution Limited (CPDL), as many as 37 electric poles were damaged, largely due to uprooted trees and fallen branches impacting overhead power lines amid extreme weather conditions. CPDL officials said the intense winds caused continuous conductor sway, leading to line-to-line faults, snapping of conductors and damage to poles at several locations.

Tree uprooting and the fall of large branches on overhead lines emerged as the primary reason for disruptions. Repeated tripping was reported on 11 kV, 33 kV and 66 kV overhead feeders, affecting multiple sectors.
CPDL said the majority of faults recorded during the day were weather-induced and linked to vegetation-related obstructions.

Multiple field teams were deployed across the city, braving heavy rain and strong winds to restore supply. While power was restored in most areas within hours, a few isolated pockets experienced longer outages due to the severity of damage and difficult access.
Restoration efforts were hampered by nearly 94 per cent cloud cover, poor visibility and waterlogged, slippery terrain.

Heavy rainfall and gusty winds also caused the tripping of both incoming power circuits from Mohali to Sector 39, leading to outages in parts of Sector 39, Sector 12, Water Works and PGIMER.
CPDL said load changeover operations were initiated immediately and teams were redeployed to stabilise supply in critical areas.

Major technical challenges were reported at 33 kV grid substations in sectors 37, 34 and 18, where multiple tree obstructions along feeder routes caused repeated faults and prolonged outages. Power supply was later restored in a phased and controlled manner to ensure system stability, said the CPDL.

Assuring residents, CPDL said electricity supply is being restored safely and systematically and shall normalise soon.