Residents across Gurugram endured prolonged power cuts on Thursday night as a strike by Haryana electricity employees disrupted electricity supply in several districts, affecting households, water services and industrial operations.
Several neighbourhoods in Gurugram experienced outages from around midnight, with complaints reported from Sector 2, Ashok Vihar, Sectors 4 and 5, Dayanand Colony, Bhim Garh Kheri, Palam Vihar, Sector 23, Rajendra Park, Ratan Vihar, Vishnu Garden and Sector 105, among other areas.
The Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) received around 5,500 complaints through its toll-free number between midnight and 7 am. The extended outages also disrupted water supplies, making it difficult for residents to manage their morning routines.
The impact extended beyond residential neighbourhoods. Industrial units in Daulatabad, Kadipur and Sector 37 reported disruptions, while residents took to the streets to protest against the power cuts.
The crisis also affected areas beyond Gurugram. In Sonipat, blackouts were reported in Ganaur, Gohana and Kharkhoda. Traders in the Kachcha Quarter market warned that they might shut their shops if the situation persisted. In Rewari, villagers blocked National Highway 352 near Palhawas to protest the outages, causing long queues of vehicles until police and administrative officials convinced them to clear the road. Visuals from Ambala also showed areas plunged into darkness.
The strike began at 10 pm on October 21 and was scheduled to continue until October 24. Electricity employees are protesting against the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission's decision to grant a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence to private company Eleven Power for Gurugram and Nuh.
The outages have left residents dealing with extended power cuts, interrupted water supplies and uncertainty about when normal services will resume. The strike has also highlighted shortcomings in arrangements to maintain electricity supply during labour disputes, despite advance notice of the protest. The government faces two immediate challenges: restoring dependable power supply and resolving the dispute over the private distribution licence.
WHAT TRIGGERED THE BLACKOUT?
The Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission (HERC) granted Eleven Power a parallel distribution licence on October 19, allowing the private company to build infrastructure and supply electricity in Gurugram and Nuh alongside the state-owned DHBVN.
The licence was issued under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003, which permits multiple distribution companies to operate in the same geographical area, subject to regulatory requirements.
Electricity employees have opposed the move, arguing that parallel distribution amounts to indirect privatisation. They fear that the entry of a private operator could weaken the state utility, threaten jobs and undermine the public-sector electricity distribution system.
The strike has disrupted the workforce required to address faults and restore power. According to reports by Hindustan Times, residents had been warned before the protest that electricity faults might remain unattended. The resulting outages have demonstrated how heavily residential colonies, commercial establishments and industrial units depend on electricity workers to maintain supply and carry out repairs.
The licensing decision itself did not directly cause the blackout. The immediate disruption resulted from the employees' strike against the decision.
WHY IS THE PRIVATE LICENCE SO CONTENTIOUS?
The disagreement extends beyond employment concerns to the financial structure supporting electricity distribution in Haryana.
DHBVN currently supplies power across southern Haryana, including Gurugram. The arrival of another distributor could eventually allow eligible consumers to choose their electricity supplier once the private company establishes its network and begins operations.
Supporters of competition argue that the possibility of losing customers could encourage distributors to improve service quality and invest in infrastructure. However, DHBVN has warned that it could lose a substantial portion of its revenue if commercial and industrial consumers move to the private operator.
In submissions to HERC, DHBVN stated that Gurugram and Nuh accounted for 35.23% of its electricity sales and 42.98% of its revenue in 2025-26. The utility projected that even a relatively small shift in sales to Eleven Power could cause significant revenue losses.
These figures represent DHBVN's projections rather than confirmed losses. Eleven Power challenged the utility's assessment, arguing that its business plan anticipated only a limited transfer of existing customers, with much of its expected growth coming from new connections.
The disagreement is significant because electricity distribution requires substantial investment in infrastructure, while revenue from certain commercial and industrial consumers helps support subsidised electricity for other categories of users. If the state utility loses a considerable share of its higher-paying customers, questions could emerge about how the remaining costs would be allocated.
Employee unions have expressed similar concerns about the future of the public utility and the interests of workers, farmers and consumers. These objections reflect their position in the dispute. The actual financial consequences will depend on the development of the private network and the response from consumers.
HOW DID THE CRISIS AFFECT DAILY LIFE?
The outages have disrupted essential services that depend on electricity.
In residential areas, prolonged power cuts have interrupted water supplies. High-rise buildings rely on electricity to operate lifts and water pumps, while people working from home depend on uninterrupted power and internet connectivity.
Industrial establishments have also reported problems. Units in Daulatabad, Kadipur and Sector 37 were among those affected, raising concerns about halted production, delayed orders and financial losses.
Protests in Gurugram, Sonipat and Rewari reflected growing frustration among residents and traders waiting for electricity to be restored. The road blockade near Palhawas also demonstrated how power disruptions can affect traffic and public order.
The scale of the crisis has raised questions about the effectiveness of arrangements to protect essential services during a planned strike. Ahead of the protest, the administration had announced contingency measures, including instructions to prioritise hospitals, water installations, Metro services and other essential facilities. Determining whether these measures were sufficient would require comparing the announced plans with actual restoration records and complaint-response data.
WHAT HAPPENS NEXT?
The Haryana government has said it will challenge HERC's decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity and seek a stay on the licence. Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini has appealed to employees to reconsider their strike, while Energy Minister Anil Vij has said the government will pursue the legal challenge.
The strike was scheduled to continue until October 24. The immediate focus is on restoring reliable electricity, addressing pending complaints and minimising disruption to households, water services and industrial operations.
The broader dispute will be resolved through regulatory and legal proceedings. If the licence goes ahead, Eleven Power will need to develop its distribution infrastructure and establish its operations before the proposed competition becomes a reality for consumers.
The prolonged outages have left residents struggling with interrupted electricity and water supplies, with little certainty about when normal services will return. The strike has also exposed weaknesses in the arrangements for maintaining electricity supply during labour disputes, despite advance warning. The government must now restore dependable power and address the disagreement over the private distribution licence.
The final outcome will influence Haryana's approach to competition in electricity distribution. How the authorities respond to the strike will also determine whether the system can better protect consumers when labour disputes disrupt routine operations.
