Deluge Within: Ludhiana's PSPCL Offices Drown in Neglect as Rains Expose Crippling Infrastructure

Ludhiana, a bustling industrial hub, is grappling not just with the monsoon rains outside, but with a shocking internal deluge within the very offices tasked with ensuring its power supply. The Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) offices across the city, once vital service centers, are now struggling under the weight of severe neglect, with leaking roofs and flooded floors turning essential workspaces into waterlogged nightmares.

A visit to various sub-divisions and divisional offices paints a grim picture.

From the Model Town division to Civil Lines, and even the Sunder Nagar offices, the narrative remains consistent: water seeping through dilapidated ceilings, forming puddles on floors, and threatening crucial documents and expensive electronic equipment. Employees are forced to navigate through ankle-deep water in some areas, resorting to makeshift solutions like plastic sheets and buckets to protect their workstations and valuable files.

The impact on daily operations is profound.

Billing counters are often disrupted, complaint desks become inaccessible, and essential administrative tasks are severely hampered. Citizens visiting these offices to pay bills, lodge complaints, or seek new connections are met with scenes of disarray and often find services delayed or temporarily unavailable.

The unhygienic conditions, coupled with the risk of electrical hazards due to water ingress, create an unsafe environment for both staff and the public.

Staff members, speaking anonymously, express deep frustration over the long-standing issue, highlighting that these problems are not new but intensify with every monsoon season.

They lament the lack of timely maintenance and insufficient allocation of funds for infrastructure upgrades, which have left the buildings vulnerable and unfit for purpose. The morale of the workforce is understandably low, as they are expected to deliver critical services while battling an onslaught of water from above and below.

This deplorable state of affairs not only compromises the efficiency of power service delivery but also raises serious questions about public sector infrastructure management.

It underscores an urgent need for the PSPCL authorities to prioritize the repair and renovation of these vital offices. Ensuring a safe, functional, and dignified working environment is paramount, not just for the well-being of the employees, but also for maintaining the continuity and quality of essential services to the residents of Ludhiana.