Gurugram: Lights Out In 'Maximum City' As 7 Power Stations Malfunction; Rapid Metro Also Hit

Gurugram: A major power crisis has erupted in Gurugram following the failure of the main transformer at the 220 KVA power substation in Sector-72. Seven power substations have been affected, resulting in a complete cutoff of electricity supply across several sectors. Rapid Metro services were also disrupted for over an hour.

What happened in Gurugram?

A severe power crisis unfolded in Gurugram on Friday night. The main transformer at the Sector-72 power substation suddenly failed, causing a chain reaction that shut down seven substations simultaneously. The impact extended beyond residential power supply; Rapid Metro services also came to a standstill for over an hour, causing significant inconvenience to thousands of commuters.

Gurugram's Sector-72 houses a major 220 KVA power substation—meaning it supplies electricity to a vast geographical area. It was the main transformer at this very substation that failed. When the unit malfunctioned, it triggered a complete breakdown in the supply chain, causing seven substations to go offline one after another.

The seven substations that went offline are: Sector-15, Sector-38, Sector-44, Sector-46, Sector-52, Sector-56, and the 66 KVA Maruti power substation. Darkness descended upon all the areas that draw their power supply from these substations.

Rapid Metro commuters faced the greatest inconvenience. Thousands of people travel via the Rapid Metro daily; however, due to the power outage, metro services remained suspended for over an hour. Both those who were already on board the trains and those waiting at the stations faced considerable difficulties.

When will the power be restored?

The pressing question now is: when will the power be restored? According to the Electricity Department, repairing the transformer is expected to take between 8 to 10 hours. Consequently, electricity supply is not expected to be restored until late into the night. Until then, residents across all these affected areas will have to endure darkness and heat.

Where exactly did the power go out? Regarding the areas affected by power outages, electricity supply was completely cut off across a wide stretch—from Sector 38 to Sector 57, as well as in Parts 1 and 2 of Sector 15, and Sector 18. In other words, a significant portion of Gurugram has fallen victim to this crisis.

How is the weather in Gurugram?

The heat in Gurugram continues to persist at dangerous levels. On Friday, the city's maximum temperature was recorded between 42°C and 44°C. In several localities, the mercury soared as high as 43–44°C. Meanwhile, residents found no respite even during the night; temperatures hovered around 33–35°C even as late as 10:30 PM, leaving people distressed by the combination of heat and humidity.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a heatwave alert for Haryana, valid until May 24. According to the weather department, the impact of the heat is currently severe, and people are advised to avoid venturing outdoors during the afternoon hours.

The effects of this scorching heat are now clearly visible in the power infrastructure as well. Electricity demand in Gurugram and across Haryana has surged rapidly, particularly in areas serviced by DHBVN. This escalating load is placing immense pressure on the existing power grid infrastructure.

Earlier today, in the Sector 99 to 102 belt—located along the Dwarka Expressway—underground feeder cables caught fire due to overheating. Following this incident, the power supply for approximately 4,500 households remained disrupted for nearly 10 hours.

Is There a Major Power Crisis in Several Parts of Mumbai?

Mumbai faced a sudden and major power crisis on Friday night. Electricity supply was disrupted across several areas of Central and South Mumbai, causing significant inconvenience to residents.

According to an official from BEST, Transformers No. 2 and 3 at the Kingsway Receiving Station in Dadar tripped around 9:25 PM following a technical glitch. This fault was attributed to an "air trip" malfunction.

As a result of this technical failure, power supply was disrupted in the Dadar, Wadala, and Parsi Colony areas. In many households, fans and ACs suddenly stopped working. The weather was already quite hot and humid at the time, which further compounded people's difficulties.