Power demand rises in July, gives discoms sleepless nights

Tag : variable power supply

Over the years, it has been observed that the peak demand for powerhappens to be the highest in June. But due to early onset ofmonsoons, an almost continuous spell of rainfall and cloudy weatherensured that the peak demand remained less than 3,800 MW except fora couple of days in June. The average demand remained much lowerthrough out June. In fact there were fewer power cuts in June thanlate April and early May when the discoms were yet to put intopractice their contingency plans to meet the anticipated demand ofpower.

The officials in power department had started heaving a sigh ofrelief and power Minister Ashok Kumar Walia even went to claim thatthe peak demand for power had remained so low due to the success ofthe energy efficiency measures initiated by the State Government inthe recent times. But come July with very high humidity levels, allthe claims of Government and the discoms have fallen flat.

All the arrangements that the discoms claimed that they had madeunder summer action plan have proved hollow. Both the distributioncompanies had claimed that they have made sufficient arrangementsto meet the high demand of power in June, July and August. The NDPLhad arranged extra power from Himachal Pradesh, Orissa and MadhyaPradesh. The BSES too came out with a list of arrangement that ithad made though belatedly. Residents in South and West Delhicomplaint that they have to face power cuts for more than four-fivehours a day regularly. The demand of power has touched a high ofall times that is 4,034 MW in July.

An officer in Delhi power had earlier said "While making ourcalculations for meeting the demand of power in the summer months,the arrival of monsoon is always taken into account. By mid-Junethe monsoon is expected to hit Central India. The demand for powerin central Indian States declines drastically. Thereafter, theCapital can overdraw as much as power from the grid as it wants.The talk of summer action plan is just to divert the attention ofthe people."

However, raingods have come to the rescue of Government onlypartially. While the peak demand in the capital was very low inJune, so their was no competition with the neighbouring States tooverdraw from the grid. But with shortage of power affecting almostthe entire north India in July, they are competing with each otherto overdraw from the grid. Since the capital cannot overdraw asmuch as it wants, Delhiites are left with little option but to bearthe brunt of frequent power cuts.

A Delhi Transco Limited official said, "Whenever there is an excessload on the grid, it causes the frequency to dip. Since the discomslines get automatically tripped due to a fall in the frequencylevels, Delhi cannot depend much on overdrawn when there is acompetition among the north Indian States for over drawing power.There is a fear of grid collapse due to that."

Now the power minister has decided to write to the Centre to urgeother north Indian states to keep a check on their overdrawn fromthe grid.

Raj Khosla a resident of Vasant Kunj says, " If the Government hadsomething better to offer."