An electrical failure at the 220 kV substation located in Sector 72 of Gurugram resulted in the blackout that occurred on the evening of Friday, March 2nd, throughout many areas of the city, including both residential and commercial districts. As a result, Rapid Metro stopped running, causing significant inconvenience to commuters.
Massive Blackout Disrupts Life in Gurugram
The power outage occurred as a result of an electrical malfunction in one of the transformers at the substation that caused an oil leak and explosion in the transformer circuit. The electrical outage also took place during a heat wave, exacerbating the challenges facing residents who were without air conditioning, elevators, and other necessary utilities.
Impact of Power Outage on Rapid Metro Services
The power outage had a significant impact on the operation of the Rapid Metro services in Gurugram. According to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation (DMRC) officials, there were no train operations on the Rapid Metro system from approximately 7:50 PM to 8:33 PM due to the disruption in power supply at the Sector 72 substation.
Northbound trains on the Delhi Metro’s Yellow Line continued to operate, using a standby power source from DMRC; Rapid Metro passengers, however, experienced delays and uncertainty during the evening rush period as they waited for information regarding the status of the trains. Numerous videos posted by users to social media show passengers waiting at crowded stations for updates regarding train service.
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Passengers Forced to Walk on Tracks
As one of the most dramatic parts of this incident, there were several stranded passengers who were seen walking along the elevated metro tracks to get to stations, after trains had stopped in the middle of their journey. Videos of commuters walking on the tracks spread quickly online, creating disturbing concern regarding passenger safety and emergency evacuations.
Numerous commuters described the scene as disorganized, primarily because of extreme heat along with having received little to no immediate information. Twitter users in Gurugram expressed frustration over continuing repeated power outages in recent days and asked if the city had an infrastructure capable of handling heavy summer usage.
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Areas Within Gurugram Without Power
There were multiple sectors without power throughout Gurugram, including Sectors 15, 18, 38-57 and surrounding business centers. Officials stated that the Sector 72 distribution substation was critical to Gurugram’s electrical system as it provided power to numerous other substations throughout the entire area.
Commuters were without power for hours on end resulting in stalled elevators & excessive heat (over 42 degrees Celsius). Multiple businesses/office locations experienced service disruptions due to backup systems being unable to support the sudden loss of electricity.
Restoration Work and Official Response
After the blast from a transformer, power department officials stated that they started restoration work immediately after the incident. Power supply for the affected lines was gradually restored, allowing Metro services to start running again as electricity was being supplied to those lines. Authorities said that by late night, the situation was under control, although investigators are still looking into what caused the transformer to fail.
This incident has, once again, raised concerns about the power infrastructure within Gurugram, especially at times of extreme weather and increasing electricity demand.
