Irked over long power outages, city residents hold protests, block roads

Avneet Kaur

Jalandhar, July 28

Unscheduled long power cuts have become a daily routine for residents in several localities, leading to widespread protests. The residents say that despite multiple complaints to Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) officials and calls to 1912 helpline, the power supply issue has remained unresolved.

The most-affected areas included Basti Guzan, Pakka Bagh, Har Gobind Nagar, Pratappura and areas near Jyoti Chowk. Residents say the frequent power cuts exceeding 10 hours in the stifling heat have disrupted daily activities and children’s study.

In response to a nearly 20-hour power outage on Saturday, residents, belonging to different localities near Jyoti Chowk, blocked the main road in protest against the PSPCL and the government. Led by former councillor Sherry Chadha, the demonstrators criticised the PSPCL officials for repeatedly giving false assurances about restoring power within an hour or two on the calls.

As the protest intensified, SHO, Division Number 4, Hardev Singh arrived at the scene to pacify the protesters. He arranged a conversation between the residents and the PSPCL officials, who promised to restore power swiftly.

Residents expressed anger, questioning the government’s promise of free electricity amid prolonged outages. They also highlighted issues such as the erratic water supply.

A similar protest erupted in Pratappura where residents blocked the Jalandhar-Nakodar highway for an hour on Saturday evening. The police intervened to clear the highway, but, by the time the blockage was lifted, it caused a five kilometre jam, forcing vehicles to take routes through village roads.

In Pratappura, power cuts have persisted for over eight hours due to damaged transformers. Despite over a 100 complaints, the issues remained unresolved, forcing residents to block the highway.

Similarly, Pakka Bagh faced power cuts from 10 am on Saturday to late night, while Basti Guzan experienced an 18-hour outage from Friday morning. The Model House area also suffered from intermittent power supply issues, forcing residents to take to the streets.

Meanwhile, the PSPCL officials attributed the delay in repair work to a shortage of linesmen and claimed that rain-related faults in transformers and feeders had exacerbated the situation. They assured that the staff were assigned to repair complaints.

Unscheduled cuts leave people fuming

• In protest against nearly 20-hour power outage, residents, living in different localities near Jyoti Chowk, blocked the main road.
• Another protest erupted in Pratappura where residents blocked the Jalandhar-Nakodar highway for an hour on Saturday evening
• In Pratappura, power cuts have persisted for over eight hours due to damaged transformers, forcing residents to block the highway
• Pakka Bagh faced long power cuts, while Basti Guzan experienced an 18-hour outage from Friday morning. The Model House area also suffered from intermittent power supply issues, forcing residents to take to the streets.