‘No Fans, No Lights, No Water’: Gurugram, Faridabad Residents Fume As Haryana Strike Continues

Last Updated:October 23, 2026, 09:42 IST

Residents in Gurugram and Faridabad are fuming after prolonged power cuts. What is behind Haryana’s strike, and when will normalcy return?

Gurugram residents have taken to the streets in frustration, with many struggling without electricity, water and other basic amenities for over 48 hours.

Haryana Power Strike: A three-day strike by around 40,000 electricity employees and engineers has disrupted power supply across parts of Haryana, leaving residents struggling with exhausted inverter batteries, dry taps and disrupted internet connectivity. Gurugram, Faridabad and Nuh are among the worst-affected districts, with residential neighbourhoods, offices, shops and industrial units reporting outages since 10 pm on Wednesday, October 21.

The strike, which began on October 22 and is scheduled to continue until October 24, has been called by electricity employees opposing the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) decision to grant a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence to private company Eleven Power Private Limited for Gurugram and Nuh.

More than 3,000 electricity-related complaints were received in Gurugram within the first 12 hours of the disruption, according to an official cited by PTI. The outages have affected water supplies, work-from-home arrangements, students’ studies and industrial production, intensifying pressure on the state government to resolve the standoff.

Why Are Haryana Electricity Employees On Strike?

The immediate trigger for the agitation is HERC’s October 19 order granting Eleven Power Private Limited a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence for Gurugram and Nuh under Section 14 of the Electricity Act, 2003.

Haryana’s electricity distribution sector has so far been dominated by two state-owned companies: Uttar Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (UHBVN) and Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN). Once the new licence takes effect, Eleven Power will become the first private company to enter Haryana’s electricity distribution sector.

The licence is described as parallel because it allows another distributor to operate in the same geographical area. The arrangement could give more than 8.3 lakh electricity consumers in Gurugram and Nuh, including households, farms, shops and industrial establishments, a choice between two distribution companies.

However, the proposal has triggered opposition from electricity employees and engineers, who argue that introducing a private distributor into commercially important areas amounts to indirect privatisation of the power sector.

The Haryana Electricity Employees and Engineers Joint Struggle Front has demanded that the licence be cancelled and a clear policy against parallel licensing be introduced. Employee representatives have warned that allowing a private operator into high-revenue areas could weaken DHBVN and threaten workers’ job security and service conditions.

The unions have also argued that the dispute concerns the future of public electricity distribution and the interests of farmers and consumers, not merely employment conditions. They have called for the licence to be withdrawn before the agitation can be resolved.

Gurugram Residents Struggle With Power Cuts, Dry Taps And No Wi-Fi

Gurugram has witnessed widespread disruption as prolonged outages exhausted backup power systems in several residential areas. Residents have reported losing electricity, water supply and internet access, affecting both household routines and professional commitments.

A Sector 7 resident told The Indian Express that electricity went out at around 10 pm on Wednesday. By Thursday morning, his inverter had run out, the water supply had stopped and the Wi-Fi connection was no longer working. He was unable to work from home, while his children preparing for engineering entrance and government competitive examinations also struggled to study.

He said attempts to register a complaint through the electricity helpline 1912 were unsuccessful. He also alleged that officials’ phones were unavailable and that there was uncertainty over when normal supply would resume.

Other residents reported similar difficulties across the city. In Sector 5, residents said water could not reach homes because electricity-dependent distribution systems had stopped working. TR Adalkha, president of the Sector 5 Residents’ Welfare Association, said some residents could not go to their offices, while others were unable to work remotely. Children were also affected by the lack of water at home.

Power disruptions were reported in areas including Sectors 5, 7, 10A and 52, Palam Vihar and Daulatabad. DLF Phase 2 also experienced outages, although residents reported that supply was restored there by noon on Thursday. Electricity was restored in Sector 7 around 4 pm, according to residents quoted by IE, while the outage in Sector 5 continued at the time of its report.

Along the Dwarka Expressway, housing societies began preparing for prolonged cuts by stocking diesel for generators. Sunil Sareen, deputy convenor of the Dwarka Expressway Gurugram Development Association, said societies had made arrangements to deal with possible disruptions.

Faridabad Residents Protest As Power Cuts Disrupt Water Supply

The strike has also affected Faridabad, where residents of Sectors 16 and 31 also reported power outages, with several saying electricity had been unavailable since midnight and others reporting cuts since early Friday morning. People took to the streets to demand the restoration of electricity.

In New Industrial Township-2, residents protested after an extended outage left households without power and disrupted water supply. Reports said residents blocked a road after being without electricity for around 13 hours, prompting police intervention.

In Gurugram, residents also blocked the Daulatabad flyover on Thursday evening, alleging that power outages had affected several parts of the city. The road protest added to traffic disruption as commuters and residents sought urgent action to restore supply.

In Nuh district, outages were reported in areas including Punhana, Nagina and Firozpur Jhirka. The combined impact across the three districts has made the strike a wider public-service issue, extending beyond the dispute between the government, regulator and electricity employees.

Industrial Units In Gurugram Face Production Losses

The power disruption has hit industrial and commercial establishments in Gurugram, particularly in areas such as Sector 37, Kadipur and Basai. Businesses dependent on uninterrupted electricity have reported halted machinery and production, raising concerns about financial losses and delayed deliveries.

Deepak Maini, chairman of the Progressive Federation of Trade and Industry, said there had been no power supply in Gurugram’s Sector 37 since 10 pm on Wednesday. He warned that continued outages could affect production, business activity, the availability of finished goods andtimely deliveries.

Maini and other industrialists have expressed concern that losses could run into crores of rupees if supply remains disrupted across hundreds of units.

The strike has therefore created concerns beyond immediate inconvenience to residents. Interruptions to manufacturing and commercial operations could affect output, delivery schedules and business commitments, particularly if power faults remain unattended for an extended period.

Social Media Reactions: ‘No Fans, No Lights, No Life’

Frustration over the outages has also spilled onto social media, where residents and other users have described the difficulties of coping without electricity. One user claimed that large parts of Haryana were in darkness, alleging that some cities, including Faridabad, Jhajjar, Jind and Sonipat, had experienced load shedding lasting more than 48 hours.

Another user describing the situation in Faridabad said the electricity strike had left their household without power since the previous night. With the inverter exhausted, Wi-Fi unavailable and mobile phones running low on battery, the user questioned how people were expected to work, study or manage daily life during a prolonged outage.

A separate post described the situation as a “complete blackout”, adding that the lack of fans and lights had made daily life extremely difficult. Other social media users called for striking government employees to be suspended and criticised the disruption caused by the protest.

These posts reflect anger among some residents over the impact of the strike, although individual accounts and broad claims about the extent of the blackout should not be treated as verified statewide figures.

The central complaint among affected residents is that an industrial and regulatory dispute has left ordinary consumers dealing with the immediate consequences, including loss of water, internet access and the ability to work from home.

Electricity Employees Say They Are Not Deliberately Cutting Supply

Employee representatives have defended the strike, arguing that workers are protesting against a policy decision that could affect the future of public electricity distribution. According to the Electricity Employees Federation of India (EEFI), 96% of power employees in Gurugram participated in the strike. The figure was cited in a report by The Indian Express and represents the federation’s account of participation.

EEFI national vice-president Subhash Lamba said employees regretted the inconvenience caused to the public. He maintained that workers had not deliberately shut down electricity supply but were unavailable to attend to breakdowns and repair faults during the agitation.

Lamba also said employees would continue reporting for duty at hospitals and other essential establishments.

The employee unions argue that their protest is directed at the decision to grant the private licence and the potential consequences for jobs, consumers and the state-owned distribution company. They maintain that the government should act to withdraw the licence rather than expect workers to abandon their opposition without a resolution.

The position has not, however, prevented widespread inconvenience for consumers who rely on electricity department staff to respond to faults and restore supply.

Haryana Government To Challenge HERC Order Before APTEL

The Haryana government has said it opposes the introduction of private electricity distribution through the licence and will challenge HERC’s decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL). Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini said the state would strongly represent the employees’ concerns in the legal proceedings. He also offered to involve lawyers selected by the unions in the effort to challenge the order.

CM Saini chaired a review meeting with administrative secretaries to assess preparations for the strike and appealed to employees to withdraw their agitation. He also directed deputy commissioners to set up district-level monitoring committees that would report to a high-level committee led by the Chief Secretary.

The aim, the government said, is to monitor the situation, coordinate the response and ensure that essential services are not disrupted.

Energy Minister Anil Vij said the government would approach APTEL within five to six days and seek an immediate stay on the licence. He said the state was prepared to approach the Supreme Court if the appellate tribunal did not provide relief.

Anil Vij also maintained that HERC is an autonomous regulator constituted under the central Electricity Act and that the licence had been granted despite the state government’s opposition to privatisation. He urged unions to join the legal effort rather than continue the strike.

The government’s position is that the dispute should be fought through legal channels while electricity services continue. The unions, meanwhile, want the licence cancelled and have maintained that the decision itself must be addressed.

Administration Issues Helplines, Prioritises Essential Services

Gurugram Deputy Commissioner Uttam Singh held meetings with electricity department officials and union representatives to seek a resolution. Talks with the employees continued late into Wednesday night but failed to produce an agreement to end the strike.

The administration directed officials to prioritise electricity supply to hospitals, drinking water pumping stations, Metro rail networks and other essential facilities. Officials were also instructed to remain alert and attend to local faults wherever possible.

The district administration issued the following contact details for electricity-related complaints and emergencies:

• DHBVN toll-free helpline: 1912
• Additional helpline: 180010804334
• WhatsApp complaint number: 8813999708
• Additional WhatsApp number: 9540954768

Residents experiencing outages can use these channels to report faults, although some consumers have complained that their calls were not answered or were disconnected during the disruption.

What Does The Eleven Power Licence Mean For Consumers?

The licence has triggered opposing views about the future of electricity distribution in Haryana.

Employee unions fear that allowing a private company to distribute electricity alongside DHBVN in Gurugram and Nuh could weaken the public utility, threaten jobs and eventually lead to wider privatisation. They have also raised concerns about the implications for farmers and ordinary consumers.

The government’s stated position is that it opposes the move and will challenge the regulator’s order through the legal system. HERC, however, has granted the licence, and the state government’s appeal will determine whether its implementation is delayed or altered.

Some residents and business owners have also argued that the entry of a private distributor could be beneficial if it leads to better service and fewer outages.

That view reflects one of the central questions in the debate: whether introducing competition would improve service reliability or undermine the public distribution system and its workforce. The licence itself does not establish that either outcome will occur; its practical impact will depend on implementation, regulation and service performance.

Strike Continues As Residents Await Relief

As the three-day strike continues through October 24, residents in affected areas remain concerned about the restoration of electricity and water supplies, while businesses face mounting pressure to resume normal operations.

The state government has promised to challenge HERC’s decision and has appealed to employees to return to work. The unions, meanwhile, continue to oppose the parallel licence and have not withdrawn the agitation.

For consumers, the immediate priority remains the restoration of power and repair services. The wider dispute over Eleven Power’s entry into Haryana’s electricity distribution sector is likely to continue through legal proceedings and further negotiations, even after the current strike ends.

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Why are electricity employees and engineers on strike in Haryana?

The strike was called by electricity employees to protest against the Haryana Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (HERC) decision to grant a 25-year parallel electricity distribution licence to private company Eleven Power Private Limited for Gurugram and Nuh. Employees argue that introducing a private distributor in high-revenue commercial areas amounts to indirect privatisation and threatens their job security and service conditions.

How has the Haryana electricity strike affected residents in Gurugram and Faridabad?

The three-day strike has caused prolonged power outages, exhausting inverter batteries, halting water supply, and disrupting internet and Wi-Fi access. Residents and industrial units have faced severe hardships, including dry taps, halted manufacturing machinery, and failed attempts to register complaints through helpline 1912, leading some citizens to stage road protests.

What steps is the Haryana government taking to resolve the power strike?

Chief Minister Nayab Singh Saini and Energy Minister Anil Vij announced that the state government opposes the private distribution licence and will challenge HERC’s decision before the Appellate Tribunal for Electricity (APTEL) to seek an immediate stay. The government has also set up district monitoring committees, urged employees to return to work, and offered to involve union-selected lawyers in the legal challenge.

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Parishmita Saikia

A sociologist by training and a storyteller by profession, I spend my days shaping news, and when I’m not chasing deadlines, I’m exploring new places, discovering different cultures and tasting unique…Read More

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