Electricity demand soars by 25% in Punjab, deficit rainfall to blame

Tribune news service

Patiala, August 4
Deficit rainfall coupled with hot and humid weather has led to a steep hike in the demand for power in the state. The power supplied by Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL) increased by 25.5 per cent to 10,385 million units (MUs) in July against 8,272 MUs during the same period last year.

A comparison

10,385 million units (MUs) supplied by the PSPCL in July this year
8,272 MU power was supplied during the same period last year

The maximum daily power supplied by the PSPCL was 3,666 lakh units on July 22 this year. The power demand in July remained around 15,500 MW. The demand witnessed a sharp spike mainly due to deficient rainfall.
According to the PSPCL, the average daily power supplied in the state in June was 3,351 lakh units. Due to intense heatwave and practically no rain in June, the average daily demand met by the PSPCL increased by 24 per cent to 2,918 LUs per day against last year’s supply of 2,352 LUs per day. The power supply during June this year was 8,772 MUs against the last year’s supply of 7,055 MUs.
A senior PSPCL official said with increased withdrawal from the northern grid, including adequate power purchase, meant that all power consumers in the state were provided supply without cuts even during the paddy season. “However, there were rotational cuts of different duration in different cities to manage the situation during the peak demand, but these were minimal,” he stated.
In a relief for the PSPCL, the reservoir level has started increasing after heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh as the inflow has increased as compared to outflow. The level in Ranjit Sagar Dam is 493.42 m and inflow is 342 cusecs and outflow due to lesser generation as per demand is 76 cusecs.