Dark homes, dry taps, idle factories: Gurgaon hit by 16-hour power cuts amid strike

Thousands of households in Gurgaon faced power and water outages due to a strike by electricity department employees.GURGAON: Thousands of households went without electricity and water, nearly 1,800 manufacturing units faced disruption, and residents took to the streets as a three-day strike by Haryana's electricity department employees crippled power supply across Gurgaon on Thursday.With breakdown complaints going unattended, inverters running out of charge and industrial units struggling to keep production lines operational, the disruption exposed the city's dependence on an uninterrupted electricity supply for even its most basic needs.The strike, called to protest the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission's (HERC) decision to grant a parallel electricity distribution licence to private company Eleven Power for Gurgaon and Nuh, began affecting supplies from Wednesday night.DHBVN employees during the strike on ThursdayBy Thursday, power cuts had spread across residential colonies, industrial clusters and rural areas, with residents complaining that repeated calls to electricity officials and helplines had failed to bring relief.In several localities, prolonged outages also hit water supply as electricity-dependent boosting stations and household motors stopped functioning. While some residents managed with water stored in tanks, others said their reserves would last only a few hours. In industrial areas, manufacturers turned to diesel generator sets, but these offered only temporary relief, with prolonged use restricted by overheating, cooling requirements and air pollution control norms.The scale of the disruption was reflected in the complaints received by Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). An official said the department received more than 3,000 complaints within the first 12 hours of the strike, while DHBVN's helplines received around 5,000 outage complaints on Thursday.Residents, however, alleged that neither the helplines nor the officials responsible for local supply were responding adequately.Gurgaon, which has around 8.5 lakh electricity consumers, saw widespread disruption, particularly in Old Gurgaon. Residents said more than 50,000 households in the area were affected on Thursday, with several localities continuing to face outages even after hours of waiting. The agitation also affected Faridabad and Nuh, where residential areas and industrial units reported power cuts.Industrialists said repeated calls to DHBVN officials had failed to resolve the disruption, leaving workers and machinery idleNo electricity, no waterFor thousands of families, the immediate concern was no longer just the absence of electricity but the inability to carry out everyday activities, from cooking and studying to securing drinking water.In Sector 9A, around 6,000 families were affected after power supply snapped around 3.30am on Thursday. The outage also affected the boosting station supplying the area, leaving households without water. More than 16 hours later, supply had still not been restored, according to Suraj Bhola, general secretary of the Sector 9A residents' welfare association (RWA).“I have called the officials nearly 50 times, but nobody is responding. There is no electricity at our homes. Inverters have run out, and now there is no water either because the boosting station is affected. How are people supposed to manage their daily needs?” Bhola said.- General picture of Industrial workers.______________Picture by TOIHe alleged that the junior engineer was not answering calls, while the sub-divisional officer had cited the strike. The helpline number provided by the district administration had also failed to secure relief, he said. With no clarity on when electricity would return, residents were unable to plan their day or arrange alternative water supplies. Tankers, he added, were also difficult to find.In Hari Nagar, more than 7,000 families were affected after power supply went off around 10pm on Wednesday and remained disrupted for more than 16 hours, residents said. The accompanying water shortage left families struggling to meet basic needs.“People are suffering in their homes, children are struggling to study, and nobody is listening to us. Junior engineer (JE) and SDO are not answering calls. The office has been locked, and there is nobody available to address the complaints,” said Sumit Gujjar, Hari Nagar RWA president.While acknowledging employees' right to protest, Gujjar questioned the impact of the agitation on ordinary residents.“If employees have an issue with the govt, they should take it up with the govt instead of leaving residents without electricity and water,” he said.The uncertainty over restoration was equally distressing for residents of housing societies, where backup systems could not meet every household's needs.At Zara Aavaas, an affordable housing society, residents said power had been unavailable since 5.30am. The backup system covered essential services such as lifts but did not provide electricity to individual flats.Hemant Sharma, a resident, said the outage had created additional difficulties as pollution levels rose and restrictions under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) came into force.“On one hand, pollution levels are increasing and GRAP restrictions are in place, while on the other, the prolonged power outage has forced people to run diesel gensets. Many residents have to work from home, but how are they supposed to work without electricity for so many hours? It is even more difficult for people with medical conditions who may depend on electrical equipment or need a comfortable indoor environment,” he said.Residents of Lotus Homz also struggled as the outage continued through the day.“There has been no power supply since 5am. It has become difficult to manage even basic household chores. Even inverter ran out of battery and I had to cook dinner using the light from my mobile phone. We don’t even know when the electricity will be restored. The management has asked residents to move to the community hall, but while we somehow managed today, we don’t know what will happen tomorrow if the power supply remains disrupted,” said resident Anu Gulati.In Rajendra Park, Bhimgarh Kheri and areas near Gurgaon railway station, residents who had been without electricity since 10am staged a protest near the railway station road bridge on Thursday evening. By around 8pm, with the outage stretching to nearly 10 hours, a large number of men and women had taken to the road and raised slogans against the power department.Police personnel reached the spot to pacify the protesters, but residents refused to disperse until electricity was restored. They said the outage had disrupted household work and water supply.“There is no electricity, and there is no water in our homes. How are we supposed to run the water motor without power?” said Rupa, a resident.Residents in Faridabad's New Industrial Township-2 area also took to the streets demanding restoration of power. Police intervened after receiving information about a road blockade and dispersed the protesters after pacifying them. In Nuh, the disruption affected several areas, including Punhana, Nagina and Firozpur Jhirka.Nearly 1,800 manufacturing units hit; industrialists fear losses worth croresThe power crisis extended beyond homes, threatening production schedules and deliveries across Gurgaon's industrial belt.Nearly 1,800 manufacturing units in the Sector 37 and Kadipur industrial areas faced disruption after power cuts began around 10pm on Wednesday. Industrial units in Basai were also affected, with manufacturers reporting that machinery had stopped and production lines had come to a halt.The affected businesses include textile units, export houses, auto component manufacturers and suppliers of food to corporate and commercial establishments. Industrialists warned that a prolonged disruption could lead to losses running into crores of rupees, while delays in production could affect the availability of finished goods and timely delivery of supplies.Deepak Maini, chairman of the Progressive Federation of Trade and Industry (PFTI), said there had been no power supply in Sector 37 since 10pm on Wednesday.“Power cuts at industrial units have brought machinery and production to a halt, impacting business operations. With operations suspended across hundreds of units, the risk of losses has increased,” Maini said.Manufacturers attempted to switch to diesel generator sets, but said these could not sustain continuous industrial operations. Generators need cooling breaks after running for several hours, interrupting production and making them unsuitable as a long-term replacement for grid electricity.“A generator is meant for backup, not regular power supply. After running for several hours, it heats up and needs to be switched off to cool down,” industrialist Vikrant Gupta said.The situation was further complicated by the enforcement of GRAP from Wednesday. With restrictions on generator sets intended to control air pollution in the National Capital Region, industrialists said they faced a difficult choice between keeping operations running and complying with pollution-control requirements. Non-compliant generator sets could face action under the applicable norms.“How are we supposed to run our operations amid so many disruptions? Power is basic to running an industry,” another industrialist said.Manufacturers said the crisis had also exposed the difficulties in getting faults repaired when the regular electricity workforce was unavailable. Maini said DHBVN officials had expressed their inability to resolve the problems, while private vendors could not be engaged to work on high-tension lines and feeders.He argued that the immediate priority should be uninterrupted electricity, regardless of the provider.“If DHBVN is unable to provide the service, there is nothing wrong with allowing private players. We want an uninterrupted power supply, whoever provides it — the govt or a private player,” Maini said.He added that frequent outages had already become a persistent problem for manufacturers, requiring repeated maintenance interventions and disrupting production schedules.Industrialist PK Gupta said the responsibility for ensuring electricity supply rested with the government.“It is the govt’s responsibility to ensure power supply. We pay taxes to the govt,” he said.Industrialists urged the state government to consider invoking the Essential Services Maintenance Act (ESMA), if legally warranted, and make alternative arrangements to restore electricity. Their concerns highlighted the immediate economic cost of the strike even as the broader dispute centred on whether a private company should be allowed to distribute electricity alongside the state-owned discom.Old Gurgaon worst hit as feeders remain out of serviceThe disruption was more widespread in DHBVN's Circle 1, which covers Old Gurgaon, sectors 9 and 10, and Kadipur, than in Circle 2, which includes parts of South City, Sohna and sectors along Golf Course Road.In Circle 1, 12 of the 530 11kV feeders were out of service on Thursday. In Circle 2, 14 of the 750 feeders were shut down.Power supply remained disrupted in nearly 50 localities, including Palam Vihar, New Palam Vihar, Sai Kunj, Chandan Vihar, Ashok Vihar, sectors 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 7 Extension, Hari Nagar, Gandhi Nagar, Rajendra Park, Vishnu Garden, Surat Nagar, Dhanwapur, Sushant Lok 2 and 3, Manesar, Sohna and Taoru.Sector 9A remained among the worst-affected areas, with residents reporting that power had not returned even after several hours. In Sushant Lok 2, around 500 families in B block were without electricity from about 6am. Supply was restored in Sushant Lok around 2.30pm, but Sector 9A was still without power at the time of filing this report.The situation also deteriorated around Sohna and Nimauth power houses. Four feeders were out of service by 8am on Thursday, and the number rose to 12 by 3pm, affecting around 30 villages. Two urban feeders were also disrupted, affecting City-4, Gehlot Bihar and the MVN and Aekam residential societies.Officials said five of the 15 feeders serving rural areas and seven of the 39 urban feeders had been shut down by 3pm.The relatively better situation in parts of Circle 2 was attributed to an arrangement under which line maintenance in selected localities had been outsourced to a private company. Its workers continued attending to faults and breakdowns despite the strike.The arrangement covers areas such as Badshapur, Tikli, Bhondsi, Rithoj, parts of South City and sectors 14, 17, 18 and 23. However, it does not extend across the entire city. Substations and power houses continue to depend on DHBVN employees, limiting the extent to which outsourced maintenance can compensate for the absence of the regular workforce.DHBVN deployed around 100 workers hired through a contractor to repair faults, but the arrangement brought little relief, with workers reportedly struggling to identify the faults.Chief engineer PK Chauhan said the overwhelming participation of employees had made it difficult to handle complaints.“About 98% of DHBVN’s officers and employees are on strike. Even executive engineers and superintending engineers have joined it. The absence of staff is making it difficult to address electricity complaints. Senior officials have been informed about the situation,” he said.In Circle 1, 816 of 826 employees joined the strike, while 540 of 557 employees in Circle 2 stayed away from work. Outsourced staff and workers recruited through Haryana Kaushal Rozgar Nigam also joined the agitation. Superintending engineers Shyambir Saini and Manoj Yadav supported the protest.Subhash Kumar, SDO of Sohna DHBVN, said updates on outages were being shared with senior officials every hour.Helplines fail to provide relief as officials struggle to respondAs complaints mounted, the district administration and electricity department faced criticism from residents who said they had no reliable way to find out when supply would be restored.On Wednesday evening, deputy commissioner Uttam Singh issued a press release listing contact numbers for consumers affected by outages. Residents said, however, that complaints made through toll-free numbers 1912 and 180010804334, as well as WhatsApp numbers 8813999708 and 9540954768, did not result in timely relief.The problem was compounded by the absence of employees at complaint centres, substations and offices at the sub-divisional, divisional and circle levels. The striking employees' joint front said many of these facilities had been largely deserted, while faults affecting 33kV and 11kV feeders remained unattended.The state government said arrangements were being made to maintain supply during the strike, with deputy commissioner Uttam Singh directing officials to prioritise essential services, including hospitals, water supply systems and the metro.But residents said the lack of clear information about restoration was making the disruption harder to manage. In areas where electricity had been unavailable for much of the day, exhausted inverter batteries and depleted water storage left families with few alternatives.Why are electricity employees on strike?The immediate trigger for the strike was HERC's October 19 order granting Eleven Power Private Limited a parallel electricity distribution licence for Gurgaon and Nuh for 25 years under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003.The licence allows the company to distribute electricity in the two revenue districts alongside the existing state-owned distribution companies. The Haryana Bijli Karamchari and Engineers Joint Sangharsh Morcha called a three-day strike against the decision, arguing that the entry of a private distributor threatened the existing public distribution system.Around 40,000 electricity department employees across Haryana joined the strike, according to the unions, which said the agitation was not about salaries or allowances but about protecting public electricity infrastructure, employees' jobs and consumers' interests.Devender Singh Hooda, a senior leader of the joint front, said the movement was aimed at preventing the privatisation of electricity distribution and safeguarding farmers and ordinary consumers.The unions argued that a parallel distribution licence could weaken the revenue base of public utilities in an agriculture-dominated state. They warned that this could affect the ability of public discoms to provide affordable and reliable electricity, particularly to farmers and economically weaker sections in rural and urban areas.The unions also questioned the transparency of the regulatory process. They sought details of Eleven Power's experience, technical capabilities, capital investment, financial strength and eligibility, as well as public disclosure of the criteria used to assess its application. They demanded an impartial inquiry into the roles of the regulator and the company.Amarjeet Jakhar and Mukesh Bhayana said the agitation would continue until the decision was withdrawn. Jakhar said employees would decide whether to extend the strike beyond October 24 if their demands were not accepted.The movement also received support from several workers' and farmers' organisations. Most constituent organisations of the Samyukt Kisan Morcha, along with Sarv Karamchari Sangh Haryana and trade unions, including CITU, AITUC and INTUC, extended support and organised demonstrations at various locations.Subhash Lamba, vice-president of the Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI), and Shailendra Dubey, chairman of the All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF), also opposed the parallel licence.Lamba alleged that the Haryana government was attempting to undermine the agitation by bringing technical employees and supervisors from neighbouring states, including Punjab and Himachal Pradesh.“If the chief minister and the energy minister oppose privatisation and stand with electricity employees, why is a parallel distribution licence being granted to a private company in the first place?” he asked.He said the government needed to demonstrate its opposition through concrete action rather than assurances.Govt says strike unnecessary, promises legal battle against licenceThe Haryana government has opposed the licensing decision and said it would challenge HERC's order before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL), seeking an immediate stay on its implementation.Chief minister Nayab Singh Saini said on Wednesday that the government would represent the employees' case before the tribunal. He also assured unions that lawyers trusted by the employees could be engaged to pursue the challenge.Saini held a review meeting with administrative secretaries and district officials through video conferencing to assess preparations for the three-day strike. He appealed to the unions to call off the agitation, saying the government's doors for dialogue remained open.Energy minister Anil Vij, meanwhile, termed the strike unnecessary, arguing that the licensing decision had been taken by the independent regulator rather than the state government.Vij said the government had opposed the move before HERC and would now challenge it before APTEL. He also said he was against privatisation because substantial public money had been invested in the existing electricity infrastructure and employees' jobs were at stake.“I am against privatisation because substantial public money has been invested in the infrastructure and employees’ jobs are at stake,” he said.Vij urged employees to return to work and participate in the legal challenge instead of continuing the strike. He offered to involve union representatives in preparing the government's case, including by allowing them to advise its lawyer, appoint their own counsel or recommend another lawyer.The government has maintained that it did not invite applications for privatising electricity distribution. However, Vij said the central law allows any eligible individual or company to apply for a distribution licence, and the decision to grant one rests with the regulator.The distinction has become central to the dispute: while the state government says it is opposed to the licence and intends to challenge it, the employees want the decision withdrawn and a clear policy ruling out parallel distribution licences anywhere in Haryana.Power engineers seek cabinet decision to rule out parallel licencesThe dispute escalated on Thursday as electricity engineers and employee representatives called on the state government to go beyond its proposed legal challenge and take a policy decision against parallel distribution licences.AIPEF chairman Shailendra Dubey, along with Haryana Power Engineers Association leaders Puneet Kundu and Ravinder Singh Ghanghas, urged chief minister Nayab Singh Saini to convene a cabinet meeting and announce a policy ruling out such licences anywhere in the state.Dubey said the government should use its statutory powers under the Electricity Act, 2003, to revoke the licence.The employee leaders questioned HERC's decision and alleged that it appeared to promote privatisation despite the state's stated opposition. They demanded transparency on the private company's qualifications and an impartial inquiry into the circumstances in which the licence was granted.The unions said their concerns extended beyond the immediate impact on jobs. They argued that allowing parallel distribution could undermine the financial position of state-owned utilities and eventually affect electricity affordability and reliability for ordinary consumers.The government, however, has maintained that it must challenge the regulator's decision through the appropriate legal process. Vij urged employees to end the strike and join that effort, while Saini assured them that the state would pursue the matter before APTEL.The impasse has left residents and businesses bearing the immediate cost of a dispute over the future structure of electricity distribution.For households, the consequences have been exhausted inverters, dry taps, disrupted routines and uncertainty over when power would return. For manufacturers, they have included idle machinery, production delays and concerns over pollution norms governing backup generators. For the electricity department, the strike has sharply reduced the workforce available to respond to faults across a network serving around 8.5 lakh consumers in Gurgaon alone.With the unions threatening to decide on an extension beyond October 24 if their demands are not accepted, the prospect of further disruption remains a concern. The government is pursuing a legal challenge to the licence, but until the dispute is resolved and normal operations resume, consumers remain caught between the regulator's decision, the employees' opposition and the state's efforts to restore services.