City power distribution infra suffers 'extensive' damage due to storm Delhi discoms

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) The electricity distribution network in the city suffered "extensive" damage due to the severe thunderstorm in the city on Wednesday that damaged overhead wires, poles and transformers, discom officials said.
     The late evening storm, coupled with heavy rain, led to multiple outages primarily due to damaged overhead lines, electric poles and transformers, they said.
     The BSES discoms BRPL and BYPL suffered "widespread" damage across south, west, east, and central Delhi. Around 60 electric poles were broken or severely damaged. And around 10 transformers or substation parts (including LT Air Circuit Breakers and transformers) sustained damage due to falling trees or debris, said a spokesperson of the discom.
     Overhead cables and conductors were affected in many locations, resulting in temporary outages across multiple neighbourhoods, he said.
     At many of these sites, large trees uprooted by the storm fell on electric lines, poles, and substations, obstructing roads and delaying access for emergency repair teams, he said.
    The BSES discoms activated their emergency protocols and restoration strategy within minutes of the storm and quick response teams were mobilised to the affected areas with insulated tools, ladders, safety harnesses, and repair kits, he said.
     Weather alerts from the IMD were being continuously monitored in advance, enabling pre-positioning of field teams and coordination with civic agencies like PWD, MCD, and the Horticulture Department for the swift removal of fallen trees.
     In East of Kailash, where trees had blocked access and caused serious outages, the BSES team—in close coordination with the local RWA—swiftly restored temporary supply, ensuring that residents did not have to suffer prolonged blackouts, the BSES spokesperson said.
     High tension (HT) and low tension (LT) AB circuits were repaired at locations such as Karawal Nagar, Maujpur, and Kardampuri, after fallen trees had disrupted the line network and damaged air circuit breakers.
     In several areas, preventive shutdowns were carried out to avoid the risk of electrocution or short-circuits during the peak of the storm. Power was promptly restored after safety clearance, he said.
     The Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL) in a statement said that the thunderstorm led to power disruptions in many parts of North Delhi, including Bawana, Narela, Civil Lines, Shakti Nagar, Model Town, and Wazirabad.
    Multiple grid failures were reported due to the storm as incoming supply failed at 400 KV Mandola grid located in Uttar Pradesh, it said.
     "Power lines were damaged by the falling of trees and branches onto them. Our teams were engaged in the swift restoration and repair of damaged power infrastructure," it said.
     Electricity supply had to be temporarily suspended in certain areas as a precaution to prevent electrocution, it added.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)