Ludhiana, Aug. 17 -- Even as the PSPCL continues to invest in feeder augmentation, transformer upgrades and network strengthening projects, recurring technical faults coupled with the ongoing strike by outsourced employees have exposed gaps in the power utility's ability to respond swiftly to outages during periods of peak demand.

The latest disruption occurred late Friday night when a technical fault developed in the Hambhran-Baloke 66 kV transmission line, leading to the shutdown of the Baloke 66 kV substation and affecting power supply to all connected 11 kV feeders. The outage came amid rising electricity demand driven by intense heat and humidity, leaving residents in Baloke and adjoining areas without power for several hours.

Acco...