All Units Shut at Punjab's Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant as Outsourced Workers' Strike Continues

All four units at the Guru Hargobind Thermal Plant (GHTP) in Lehra Mohabbat, Punjab, have shut down, while one unit at the Ropar thermal plant awaits restoration, as an indefinite strike by outsourced technical staff entered its 12th day. The strike has exposed the state's heavy dependence on specialised field services.

The 920-MW Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) coal-fired plant at Lehra Mohabbat experienced a progressive shutdown, with units going offline between Wednesday and Sunday morning following a series of technical failures. Officials said regular PSPCL staff were working extended shifts to restore operations but lacked both manpower and the specialised trade skills usually provided by more than 1,850 outsourced workers who joined the strike after protests escalated on June 16.

Around 550 regular employees remain on site, roughly half of them technical staff, including about 150 engineers. Departments such as ash evacuation, which normally employ nearly 250 outsourced workers, are currently being managed by just 10 to 12 regular employees working 16-18 hour shifts.

The manpower shortage has highlighted a critical vulnerability. Tasks such as ash transport and disposal, boiler soot-blowing, clinker removal, high-voltage switching, turbine and pump maintenance, and coal handling are specialised and hazardous. These cannot safely be performed by untrained or temporary personnel.

The PSEB Engineers' Association has warned management that forcing engineers to operate or revive units without adequately trained support staff could lead to "major accidents, injuries or loss of life." A senior official also flagged attempts to bring in untrained replacements from Panipat and Talwandi Sabo as a "catastrophic risk," citing exposure to high-voltage equipment and boilers operating at temperatures close to 550°C.

Attempts to restart units with limited and inexperienced crews have already failed, with ash-system breakdowns and clinker-related damage triggering repeated shutdowns and ultimately resulting in a complete outage at the plant.

The impact of the strike has extended beyond Lehra Mohabbat. Union leaders said around 1,400 outsourced workers at the Ropar plant had also walked out, reducing the plant's load factor and leaving it operating at roughly half capacity.

The disruption comes at a time of high power demand. Punjab recorded peak demand of 14,459 MW on Sunday evening at 5.46 pm, while drawing 10,390 MW from the northern grid. The state's gross power generation fell to 4,140 MW, including 3,011 MW from independent power producers.

The operational and financial impact is already visible. Coal rakes are reportedly waiting for unloading and facing demurrage charges, while ash accumulation threatens boiler walls and electrostatic precipitators. Engineers also warned that repeated cold starts and improper handling could cause long-term equipment damage and lead to costly repairs.

Union leaders said a May 24 agreement, witnessed by the Punjab Power Minister, committed the state to absorb the workers directly into PSPCL by June 15. They said the government's failure to issue the required notification led to a sit-in protest from June 9, which escalated into a complete work boycott on June 16. The protesters have maintained that they will not resume work until a formal and binding absorption order is issued.

PSPCL CMD Basant Garg said talks with the workers were continuing and management hoped to revive at least one unit soon. However, plant engineers stressed that any restart must be gradual and supported by skilled personnel to avoid accidents and further damage.