Major Power Outage Disrupts Life Across Haryana Districts

Normal life and industrial operations came to a grinding halt across the Haryana districts of Gurugram, Faridabad, and Nuh on Thursday, as power utility employees launched a flash strike. The industrial and residential hubs were plunged into total darkness starting late Wednesday evening, leaving hundreds of thousands of residents grappling with severe electricity and water shortages.

The job action was initiated by employees of the Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) in vehement protest against the state government's controversial decision to privatise the power distribution network across Gurugram and Nuh.

Thousands of Complaints Flood Utilities

According to local reports, the grid failure began at approximately 10:00 PM on Wednesday. Within the first 12 hours of the strike, the power department was overwhelmed, receiving upwards of 3,000 distress complaints regarding extensive outages. Despite the soaring grievance volume, residents reported that local department helplines and official numbers went unanswered, fueling widespread frustration.

In the Bhimgarh Kheri area of Gurugram, electricity supplies remained completely severed since Wednesday night, crippling local businesses and residential cooling systems amid humid weather.

Traffic Paralyzed as Residents Take to Streets

Frustrated by the prolonged blackout and lack of official communication, hundreds of angry residents and villagers took to the streets on Thursday morning. Demonstrators gathered in large numbers and blocked traffic on the vital Daulatabad Flyover in Gurugram, demanding an immediate restoration of power and threatening to maintain the blockade until authorities addressed their grievances.

The sudden protest created massive traffic bottlenecks, stranding long queues of commuters on both sides of the flyover and snarling vehicular movement throughout neighboring sectors.

Official Response and Police Intervention

Local law enforcement agencies were quickly dispatched to the scene of the protests. Police personnel engaged with the demonstrators, urging them to clear the thoroughfare and assuring them that negotiations with power department authorities were underway. The protesters eventually dispersed, though underlying tensions remain high as the DHBVN employee union continues its standoff with the state administration over the privatisation policy.