States » NorthPosted at: Oct 22 2026 4:35PM


Power strike disrupts supply across Haryana, residents block roads as outages hit 15 districts

Neeraj Bali
Chandigarh, Oct 22 (UNI) A strike by electricity employees protesting the grant of a parallel power distribution licence to a private company in Gurugram and Nuh disrupted supply across large parts of Haryana on Thursday, triggering road blockades, water shortages and public anger, with outages reported even in Power Minister Anil Vij's Ambala Cantonment constituency.
The disruption was reported across 15 districts or administrative areas, including Gurugram, Hisar, Hansi, Kurukshetra, Mahendragarh, Jhajjar, Faridabad, Panipat, Panchkula, Rohtak, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Yamunanagar and Ambala, according to local reports.
Residents complained that electricity faults remained unattended as striking employees stayed away from repair work. Prolonged outages exhausted household inverter batteries, disrupted water pumping, and affected daily activities.
In Karnal, angry residents blocked Kaithal Road to protest the prolonged disruption, bringing traffic to a standstill.
Similar scenes were reported from Faridabad's NIT area, where residents blocked a road near Lakhani Dharamshala after power cuts left households without electricity and running water.
Gurugram was among the worst-affected urban centres, with outages reported from Sector 5, Sector 7, Palam Vihar, Daulatabad, and several parts of the old city.
Local reports estimated that nearly one million residents were affected, although the figure could not be independently verified.
Sector 5 Residents' Welfare Association president Dinesh Vashisht released a video highlighting the blackout and the difficulties faced by residents.
The strike also hit Ambala Cantonment, the constituency represented by Energy Minister Anil Vij, where residents reported that several neighbourhoods had been without electricity since around 11 p.m. on Wednesday.
Former municipal councillors Onkar Nathi and Rekha Puruthi said Nirmal Parisar, Babyal, Defence Colony and adjoining residential areas had been affected.
Puruthi said the prolonged outage had disrupted cooking, washing, bathing, and other essential household activities, forcing some families to use disposable utensils.
Residents also complained of difficulties charging mobile phones, using Wi-Fi, and preserving perishable food in refrigerators.
In Jind, the civil hospital, which is connected to a dedicated power supply line, had to operate a generator after electricity was disrupted.
Power cuts also affected work at the district secretariat in Jhajjar.
The government deployed police personnel at power substations and cancelled leave for electricity department officers and employees to maintain essential services.
The strike, called by the Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front, is scheduled to continue until October 24.
At the centre of the dispute is the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission's October 19 order granting Eleven Power Private Limited a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence for Gurugram and Nuh.
The decision would allow the private company to operate alongside the state-owned Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVNL), potentially giving consumers a choice of electricity suppliers once the necessary infrastructure is established.
The unions contend that private operators could concentrate on high-revenue industrial and commercial consumers, leaving the public utility responsible for less profitable rural and agricultural areas.
Joint front spokesperson Baljit Beniwal described the decision as a step towards "indirect privatisation" and warned that it could weaken the state-owned distribution company.
The government, however, has announced that it will challenge the regulator's decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL).
Vij said the state would file an appeal and seek a stay of the licence order, adding that the government was prepared to pursue the matter before the Supreme Court if necessary.
The minister maintained that the state government had neither invited proposals for private distribution nor initiated the licensing process.
Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini appealed to employees to refrain from striking, assuring them that the government stood with them and that negotiations remained possible.
Despite those assurances, employee organisations proceeded with the agitation, arguing that the regulatory decision posed a threat to the future of public electricity distribution.
The standoff has left the state administration facing the immediate challenge of maintaining essential electricity services while pursuing a legal remedy against the regulator's order.
With the strike scheduled to continue for another two days, the restoration of electricity in affected areas remains a pressing concern for residents.
UNI NB RSA
Tags: #Power strike disrupts supply across Haryana# residents block roads as outages hit 15 districts
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