With temperatures soaring past 43°C and electricity demand rising sharply across Ludhiana, the slow pace of PSPCL’s ₹99-crore power infrastructure upgrade project has come under focus amid increasing transformer failures, snapping wires and recurring power faults in several parts of the city.Low-lying wires in narrow areas in Ludhiana. (Gurpreet Singh/HT)The project, launched earlier this year, aims to replace hazardous dangling wires, strengthen ageing distribution lines and improve supply reliability by installing insulated aerial bunched cables (ABC) in vulnerable localities. However, despite mounting summer pressure on the network, execution on the ground remains slow as power officials struggle to secure long shutdown windows needed for technical work.Power officials said continuous use of air-conditioners, coolers and industrial machinery has significantly increased electricity load over the past few weeks, pushing several feeders and transformers under stress. Officials admitted that many parts of the network are currently operating under high-load conditions, increasing the risk of conductor heating, fuse blowouts, snapped wires and local breakdowns.According to PSPCL officials, 35 tenders have been floated under various phases of the project, of which six works worth nearly ₹29.29 crore have been awarded so far.The works include replacement of old conductors, strengthening of weak feeders, installation of insulated cabling and improvement of overloaded distribution lines in different parts of the city.Officials said maintenance and upgradation work requiring feeder shutdowns is facing delays because prolonged power cuts during peak summer demand are currently not feasible. Department sources said several operations require six to eight hours of shutdown time, but field teams are often allowed only short maintenance windows to avoid major supply disruptions for consumers.Chief engineer, central zone, Jagdev Singh Hans, said the department was trying to balance uninterrupted power supply with ongoing infrastructure strengthening works.“Demand has increased considerably because of the extreme heat, and uninterrupted supply remains our priority. At the same time, maintenance and strengthening works are also being carried out continuously wherever shutdowns are available,” he said.Officials further explained that high temperatures cause expansion and sagging of ageing conductors, while excessive loading overheats transformers and feeder lines, raising the risk of sparks and fire incidents.Residents in several localities have meanwhile raised concerns over exposed joints, low-hanging wires and repeated temporary repairs instead of permanent infrastructure replacement.Despite the delays, PSPCL officials claimed field teams are working round-the-clock to manage faults and prevent major breakdowns as summer demand continues to rise.