Thermal Power Units Shut Down Amid Heatwave & Paddy Sowing, Trigger Protests

June

2026

Six of Panjab’s 10 state-owned thermal power units remain non-operational due to technical faults, resulting in a daily electricity generation loss of around 1,190 MW. The situation has forced the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) to heavily depend on power purchases from external sources. The affected units include three at Lehra Mohabbat, Bathinda district, two at Rupnagar, and one in Goindwal Sahib, Tarn Taran district. On 21 Jun, PSPCL purchased 61M units of electricity at USD 0.087 (INR 8.25) per unit, incurring an expenditure of about USD 5.33M. Electricity generated from state-owned thermal plants costs nearly USD 0.037 (INR 3.50) per unit. So every unit purchased from the market costs PSPCL around USD 0.069 (INR 6.50) more. On 23 Jun, Panjab recorded a peak power demand of 15,600 MW. The PSPCL had to manage the demand through the national power grid, power supplied by independent producers, and hydel projects. Additionally, nearly 3K contractual employees of the state-owned thermal plants have been on strike since 16 Jun, demanding absorption into PSPCL. At the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant in Lehra Mohabbat, Bathinda district, PSPCL staff were working extended shifts to restore operations but since outsourced workers had joined the strike, the staff lacked the manpower, and specialized trade skills. Departments such as ash evacuation, which employ nearly 250 outsourced workers, were being managed by 10–12 regular employees working 16–18 hour shifts daily. On 26 Jun, Panjab recorded its highest peak power demand of the season at 16,456 MW as the state remained in the grip of an intense heatwave. Moreover, the thermal power units shut down impacts the paddy sowing as farmers require a regular power supply to operate tubewells for irrigation. PSPCL received nearly 100K complaints related to power supply on 27 Jun alone. The situation has sparked protests by farmers across the state. Farmers staged sit-ins outside the PSPCL offices in Majithia in Amritsar district and Sangrur, Mansa, Patiala, and Bathinda districts. The farmer union leaders have warned of intensified demonstrations across the state on 30 Jun. The power crisis has emerged as a significant political challenge for the Aam Aadmi Party government ahead of the next Assembly elections (earlier coverage).