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Grid infrastructureIndiaEIR-0262

Fire at Godhra GETCO substation causes prolonged power cuts

2026Published 7 Sept 2026Responsible editor: Chief Editor

SignificantElectricalProvisional
Estimated damageEstimated by the register's adjusterHow? Know the real figure?
Figure hidden: shown to subscribersMedium confidence
supply cut for about •• daysShown in the record →Full estimate
From the recordRoot cause hiddenFailed part hidden
Where
Godhra GETCO substation serving the town of Godhra
Operator
GETCO (Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation)
What
Fire damaged several electrical panels
Injuries
None reported
Outcome
Power cuts affected more than 95,000 consumers for several days

Companies named in the reporting of this entry (being named is not a finding of fault): GETCO

What happened

A fire broke out at a GETCO (Gujarat Energy Transmission Corporation) substation serving the town of Godhra, damaging several electrical panels. The damage disrupted power distribution across eastern and western parts of the town, affecting more than 95,000 consumers. Outages persisted for several days during a period of high summer temperatures, with many areas reportedly experiencing outages lasting several hours daily. Replacement panels were subsequently installed, but officials indicated the underlying issue extended beyond the fire itself, citing insufficient substation capacity for the town's growing electricity demand.

Residents, frustrated by the prolonged disruption, staged street protests. A distribution company official said approval had already been granted for two additional substations to address rising demand, alongside the two existing ones. Injuries or fatalities were not reported in the source.

Contributing factors

Officials indicated the town's substation capacity had not kept pace with a sharp increase in electricity demand over recent years, contributing to the severity and duration of the outage once the fire damaged panel infrastructure.

Lessons learned

  1. Substation panels damaged by fire can leave large areas without supply when spare capacity is absent, so operators should verify that demand growth has not outstripped installed redundancy.
  2. A single substation fire can cause multi-day outages across a town, therefore planners must secure approvals for new substations before demand exceeds the capacity of existing sites.
  3. Prolonged summer outages after substation damage can trigger public protests, so distribution companies should prepare clear communication plans for extended supply interruptions.

More lessons on outages, backup supply and restoration, from every incident on the register.

Not yet known

  • Cause of the fire
  • Age and model of the damaged panels
  • Exact duration of outages for each area
  • Cost of repairs and replacement panels

This entry is updated when these are reported. Get an alert for the next one like it.

Source

The Times of India (timesofindia.indiatimes.com)

Published 2026-09-07. Written from public reporting. Descriptive, not investigative. See the data accuracy disclaimer.

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