Outages Spark Protests Vandalism As Demand Strains Lucknow S Power Network

Power outages across several parts of Lucknow late Saturday night and early Sunday triggered protests, road blockades and vandalism at electricity substations, highlighting the growing strain on the city’s power infrastructure amid soaring electricity demand.

Residents gathered outside substations in Ambedkar, Talkatora, Rajajipuram, Chinhat and Indira Nagar after prolonged outages left thousands without electricity during the humid night. According to power department officials, a surge in electricity consumption caused feeder and underground cables to overheat, forcing load management and power rostering in several areas.

At the Laulai power house in Chinhat, angry consumers allegedly pelted stones and attempted to vandalise government property, including a parked vehicle and air-conditioning units. The unrest followed a storm around 12.30 am that disrupted electricity supply across multiple substations. While power was restored in fault-free areas by around 1.45 am, several localities continued to remain without supply, triggering protests.

In Talkatora, around 1,500 consumers spent the night without electricity after an aerial bundled cable connected to the Uptron substation developed a fault and caught fire around 2.30 am. Agitated residents staged a protest outside the substation, alleging that repeated attempts to contact officials went unanswered.

Dubagga and adjoining localities remained the worst affected, with thousands of consumers facing electricity disruptions for nearly 36 hours due to an underground cable fault. Areas including Badshah Khera, Buddheshwar, Badal Khera, Janata Vihar, Mayapuram, Kundan Vihar, Nazim Nagar, Harsh Nagar and Bhaptamau witnessed prolonged outages and repeated tripping.

In Vikas Nagar, a fire broke out on an electricity pole near Sector N-1 and was brought under control by the fire department. In Aminabad’s Gwynne Road area, a burnt underground cable disrupted electricity supply for several hours.

The outages also affected hospitals, diagnostic centres, commercial establishments and industrial consumers. Healthcare facilities, including Mohan Seva Hospital and Aarogyam Diagnostic Centre, relied on diesel generators to ensure uninterrupted patient care, while businesses and industrial units reported financial losses.

Residents alleged that repeated complaints went unanswered and claimed that several officials failed to respond to phone calls during the crisis. Consumer groups also accused local authorities of delaying fault rectification and demanded greater accountability from the power department.

Power department officials attributed the outages primarily to technical faults in underground cables compounded by exceptionally high electricity demand. “A surge in electricity consumption has caused feeders and underground cables to overheat, forcing load management and power rostering in several areas,” an official said.

Repair teams led by sub-divisional officer Sandeep Kumar Verma and junior engineer Jahangir Alam carried out restoration work, and supply was gradually restored in the affected areas.