Open house: What should be done to meet the widening gap between the demand and supply of power?

Councillors should assist local government

Councillors must assist the local government to ensure regular supply of water and electricity in summer in the region. Senior citizens and kids face are the worst sufferers when power is cut for longer duration. Residents should also use electricity judiciously. Each one of us has to come forward to stop wastage of water and electricity. Underground water pipes should also be maintained to check for leakages.

Farzana Khan

Use water judiciously

Water and power supply in the city has become extremely erratic, causing inconvenience to residents. Owing to long power and water cuts, the industry has taken a hit too, hampering manufacturing of goods. People should use water judiciously. The Electricity Department should also install smart meters with fault-free lines. This will definitely reduce power loss. Residents should also not resort to illegal use of electricity.

Sukhdev Sharma

Authorities lack will to find solution

It is disheartening that the demand and supply of electricity and water has become so erratic during the peak of summer. This causes a lot of inconvenience to residents. The authorities have also failed to find a permanent solution to the problem. Authorities lack will to deal with the root cause of the problem.

Dr Sunil Chopra

Proactive action need of the hour

Water and power scarcity is a major inhibitor of growth. Taking proactive action is the need of the hour. Increasing energy needs require huge investments to meet them. It is imperative that the authorities concerned should review the current power demand and supply status with administrative secretaries. Integrated watershed development approach that seeks to rejuvenate water bodies should be adopted.

Shruti Saggar

Admn should develop proper strategy

With rising temperature, frequent tripping, unscheduled outage, voltage fluctuation and inadequate water supply becoming a norm, residents are left in the lurch in the scorching heat. The administration should set up more solar panels through efficient planning. The administration should develop proper strategy for setting up rainwater harvesting system. The government and public should come forward to grow more trees.

Adish Sood

Long power cuts taking a toll on residents

Unscheduled power cuts and confusion over power restrictions imposed by the PSPCL are taking a toll on the residents and industry. With unplanned power disruption of three to four hours daily, production of industry has been affected, resulting in huge losses. The PSPCL officials and state government issue contradictory statements regarding power crisis in the state. The state government does not want to accept that it has failed to streamline power supply.

RS Sembhi

Install backup water tanks, power plants

Deficient and delayed supply of power and water always becomes the talk of the town in summer, with residents finding themselves in helpless situation. To address the problem, the Electricity Department should inform the residents in advance so that the latter can make arrangements in time. Moreover, helpline numbers for contacting the Electricity and Water Department should be increased so that residents can register their complaints without facing any issue. Properly informed and planned backup of water tanks and power supply can also help the departments cover the widening gap.

Sehajbir Singh

Separate lines for tubewell stations

The long duration in power and water cuts has become a regular feature. It speaks volume of the poor working of the administration. The Aam Aadmi Party had promised cheap electricity and water supply, but the situation has taken a turn for the worse. To ensure regular supply of power and water, separate lines must be given to all tubewell and power stations.

Gautam Dev

Limit the use of air conditioners at home

Owing to rising temperatures, usage of air conditioners increases drastically in various households. The careless and frequent use of electrical devices releases CFCs and raises the temperature more. It also increases the voltage of the household and causes frequent fuse tripping. By reducing the use of electrical devices, we can meet the widening gap between the demand and supply of power.

Sehajroop Kaur Sodhi

Preserve electricity, restrict water usage

Everyone is facing a hard time due to long power cuts. The government should take steps to install new electricity power plants so that more electricity is produced. Engineers and scientists should come forward with new ideas for green energy generation. Wastage of electricity should be stopped as streetlights and home appliances should be switched off when not in use. Electricity can also be preserved by harvesting rainwater and reusing drain water for agricultural purposes.

Harguneet Kaur Uppal

Plant trees to increase groundwater level

Before a power cut, the Electricity Department should inform the residents so that important works can be done without much inconvenience. No one can survive without water and hence, it is important that regular supply of water is made available to all residents. The groundwater level is decreasing rapidly and the only solution to replenish the same is by planting trees. Wastage of water should also be avoided.

Naunidh Kaur

Install more solar power plants in city

India received abundant sunlight, which means that the government can make use solar energy to increase its production of electricity by manifold. India is already a good producer of solar energy using photovoltaic cells. If we install more such plants in the cities and towns of Punjab, the widening gap between demand and supply can be easily bridged. Industries should also make use of such resources to deal with power crisis.

Parwinder Kaur

More Sustainable strategies needed

Ludhiana is facing peak power deficit. The situation is getting worse with weakening monsoon and less availability of coal. Multi-pronged sustainable development strategies in the electricity sector that meets the growing demand for economic development of the city need to be formulated. People should also opt for renewable resources such as solar energy, biomass, hydropower etc. Unlike coal, oil and natural gas, which require extensive networks of heavy machinery, processing stations, pipelines and transportation renewable, convert natural resources directly into electricity. And while many fossil fuels are becoming harder and more expensive to source, resulting in the destruction of natural habitats and significant financial losses, renewable energy never runs out.

Prabhneet Kaur

Engineers should work on Better tech

Every summer, people suffer due to shortage of power supply and irregular and long power cuts. Our engineers need to come forward with new technology to increase the supply of electricity. Our demand has increased tremendously and in order to keep a check on the wastage of electricity, it is important to adopt some measures.

JBS Nanda

Felling of trees has increased temperature

The widening gap between the demand and supply of power and water in Ludhiana can be met by the efforts of residents and government. Whenever there has to be a power cut, the Electricity Department must aware the public beforehand with the proper schedule. People are also responsible for the constant increasing temperatures. Global warming has increased because of the cutting down of trees. We need to take care of our environment so that it is easy for the future generation to survive.

Mishpreet

Check on illegal connections imperative

The local government must depute its officials to check the illegal connection of electricity. The problem of theft of electricity and connection of water and electricity in unauthorised colonies must be resolved. Citizens must cooperate with the local government in saving water and misuse of electricity. The supply of water must be rationed so that all residents may avail water. Proper wiring system should be there for uninterrupted supply of electricity. Government must purchase electricity from other states during peak season and sell in the lean period to other states. Where there is poor supply of water, the government must supply through tankers.

Mohd Saleem Farooqui

Declare true power load of households

It is true that every summer, residents have to face the problem of frequent and irregular power failures and interrupted water supply. An in-depth study of the problem will help us understand that the government alone is not at fault. The public too is at fault. How many residents have voluntarily declared the true power load of their houses? In such a situation, how will the power corporation make proper arrangements? There is a need to disclose exact load of the households to solve the problem.

Bir Devinder Singh Bedi

Government, residents must work together

Amid this swelter, frequent tripping, voltage inconstancy, erratic outages and inadequate water supply have become a nuisance for residents and industries. The government must take immediate actions to curb the energy crisis such as avoiding over-usage and wastage of coal while transportation. Renewable energy resources should be used to generate electricity to meet the demand. It is also the duty of residents to use water judiciously.

Ekamnoor Singh.

PSPCL should upgrade infrastructure

Power outage and insufficient water supply adds to the misery of the city’s already-overburdened system. Unfortunately, when power outages happen frequently or for long periods of time, the backup power system is also completely depleted. The PSPCL should upgrade its infrastructure by increasing the capacity of the power-distribution system to address power shortages. The MC must also ensure sufficient supply of water.

Novin Christopher

QUESTION

Dangling electricity wires are posing a risk to people in various parts of the city. Several cases of electrocution have been reported in the past, but the authorities concerned have failed to wake up from deep slumber. Should this amount to criminal negligence and the officials concerned be held responsible?

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