New Delhi: Large parts of Delhi experienced prolonged power outages on Wednesday night, with residents across the city reporting disruptions lasting several hours. The outages occurred despite the peak power demand being recorded at 5,462 MW—significantly lower than last year’s high of 8,500 MW, when no major cuts were reported.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) accused the BJP-led Delhi government of mismanagement, claiming that the city’s power infrastructure, which had been stable under AAP’s tenure, is now deteriorating. AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal stated, “Last year, Delhi handled 8,500 MW without outages. Now, even at lower demand, people are suffering. What will happen when demand peaks in June and July?”
Delhi Assembly Leader of Opposition Atishi shared multiple complaints from residents, highlighting areas like Uttam Nagar, Janakpuri, Patparganj, and Rohini, where power cuts lasted over 10 hours in some cases. She criticized Power Minister Ashish Sood for attributing the outages to “maintenance,” calling it an excuse. Notably, Janakpuri—Sood’s own constituency—was among the worst affected, with residents reporting more outages in the last two months than in the past decade.
Social media was flooded with grievances, including from an advocate in Karam Pura who said, “This is the first time in four years we’ve faced such prolonged cuts. Even children are suffering.”
With temperatures rising, concerns are mounting over Delhi’s power stability in the coming months. The BJP government has yet to issue a detailed response.