Gurgaon: A nearly nine-hour power outage affected several residential societies in Sector 99A after a vehicle allegedly damaged an electricity pole late Tuesday night.The incident took place around midnight in front of Pareena Coban and affected power supply to Pareena Laxmi, Skywhales Vienna Greens, Satya Merano Greens and nearby areas. According to DHBVN, the vehicle hit the pole, damaging it and disrupting an 11 kV power line supplying the area.DHBVN officials visited the site after the incident and assessed the damage. Replacement of the damaged pole, however, could not be carried out immediately as the required labour and machinery were not available at night. The pole was subsequently replaced and power supply was restored around 9.30am.The department said it isolated the affected section and restored power to most of the area within 30 to 45 minutes, while two societies remained without supply as repair work continued.“The damaged pole was replaced after the required manpower and machinery were arranged. In such cases, particularly when an incident occurs late at night, some time is required to mobilise the necessary resources and carry out the repair safely,” an official said.Residents, however, said the incident highlighted the vulnerability of the overhead electricity infrastructure in the area. They urged DHBVN to consider shifting the electricity cables underground or putting in place an emergency mechanism to enable quicker restoration when a pole is damaged.“Even though the concerned officials made efforts to restore the supply as quickly as possible, it still took more than nine hours. If a similar incident occurs during peak summer, the prolonged outage could cause serious inconvenience to residents,” said Santosh Kumar, a social worker.Residents also said prolonged power outages due to technical faults and maintenance work had become a recurring issue in the area, particularly affecting affordable housing societies that have limited power backup facilities.“Power outages caused by technical faults and maintenance have become frequent. While the weather was relatively comfortable this time, long disruptions still throw daily routines off track. People are delayed in leaving for work, children face difficulties preparing for school and routine household activities are affected,” said Sandeep Walia, a resident of Pareena Laxmi.
