Haryana Power Strike Hits 50,000 Homes, 1,800 Factories As 40,000 Employees Protest Private Distribution License

· Free Press Journal

A three-day strike by around 40,000 electricity department employees in Haryana has disrupted power supply across several districts, leaving more than 50,000 homes without electricity and affecting production at around 1,800 manufacturing units in Gurugram.

The strike, which began late Wednesday night, October 21–22, was called by electricity employee unions to protest the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) October 19 decision to grant a 25-year parallel electricity distribution license to private firm Eleven Power Private Limited for Gurugram and Nuh districts.

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The prolonged outages have disrupted household routines, affected water supplies and triggered protests by residents in several localities. Industrial operations have also been hit, with restrictions on diesel generator sets under the Graded Response Action Plan (GRAP) limiting backup power options for manufacturers.

The strike is scheduled to continue until October 24, even as the Haryana government moves to challenge the regulatory decision and appeals to employees to resume work.

Nearly 98% Of Staff Absent In Two Gurugram Circles

The scale of the disruption has been compounded by the absence of a large proportion of electricity department staff in key areas of Gurugram.

According to reports, 816 of 826 employees in Circle 1 and 540 of 557 employees in Circle 2 stayed away from work, leaving electricity faults unattended and repair operations severely affected.

Thousands of complaints were reportedly logged as residents sought help with outages and other power-related issues, putting helplines under pressure.

In several areas, power cuts lasted 16–20 hours or longer. Inverters ran out of backup power, while households faced difficulties carrying out routine activities.

Electricity supply was gradually restored in some localities by Friday morning through limited interventions, including police involvement in certain areas. However, residents in some neighbourhoods reported that supply remained intermittent.

1,800 Manufacturing Units Hit By Power Disruptions

Gurugram’s industrial areas, particularly Sector 37 and Kadipur, have also faced disruptions, with around 1,800 manufacturing units reportedly affected by the outages.

The interruptions have raised concerns about production losses, delayed manufacturing schedules and possible supply-chain disruptions if electricity supply is not restored promptly.

The situation has been complicated by restrictions on the use of diesel generator sets under GRAP, which limit the ability of industrial units to rely on conventional backup arrangements.

With electricity supply interrupted and backup options constrained, manufacturers have faced difficulties maintaining normal operations.

Water Supply Disrupted, Residents Block Roads

The power crisis has also affected drinking water supplies in residential neighbourhoods. Boosting stations and water pumps require electricity to operate, and prolonged outages have disrupted water distribution in affected areas.

Residents in parts of Old Gurugram and other localities reportedly took to the streets and blocked roads late at night to protest the prolonged outages. Protests were also reported in areas of Faridabad, including NIT, and Rewari.

According to reports, electricity returned to some neighbourhoods for around two hours before being disrupted again around midnight, adding to residents’ frustration.

Protests were also reported outside officials’ residences and at substations as residents demanded the restoration of electricity and the resolution of their complaints.

The impact has extended beyond Gurugram, with disruptions reported in Faridabad, Nuh, Rewari and other areas.

Why Are Haryana Electricity Employees On Strike?

The strike has been called by unions, including the Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front, against HERC’s decision to grant Eleven Power Private Limited a 25-year parallel electricity distribution license for Gurugram and Nuh.

The decision has prompted opposition from electricity employees, who are protesting the entry of a private distributor into the existing power distribution system.

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The license allows the private firm to operate alongside the existing distribution utilities in the designated areas. The unions’ opposition has triggered the statewide strike, which began late on October 21.

Haryana Government To Challenge HERC Order

The Haryana government has opposed the HERC decision and said it plans to challenge the order before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL).

The government has also appealed to striking employees to return to work while arranging contingency staffing to maintain essential services and address urgent power-related complaints.

Meanwhile, the strike is scheduled to continue through October 24, raising concerns over further outages if normal staffing and repair operations are not restored.

With households facing prolonged power cuts, water supplies disrupted and manufacturing units reporting operational losses, the coming days will be crucial in determining whether electricity services return to normal across the affected districts.

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