CHANDIGARH: 2021 may have spelled power shortage all over the country and region is also reeling under unbearable hot weather for past one week, Chandigarh had a different experience. While people in the neighbouring states reeled under severe and prolonged power cuts, forcing them to come out on roads.
Punjab has imposed power lockdown along with COVID-19 lockdown as the power demand has risen to all time high. Same situation the state had experienced in 2016-17 but state government has failed to take curative steps. There is a gap of 1500 MW power between demand and supply in the state.
Power situation in Haryana is also not pink According to official records, state has experienced maximum power load of 11732 MW on July 1. With this demand for electricity in Gurugram has increased by 34 per cent this year as compared to last year. Last year the maximum demand in Gurugram was 1147 MW which has been recorded at 1534 MW on July 1. For the first time since the formation of Haryana, power consumption of 2576.88 LU (Lakh Unit) has been recorded in the state, while a load of 11732 MW has been registered.
Chandigarhians were largely spared the bother, thanks to the prior initiatives taken by the Electricity Department of Chandigarh Administration to meet the challenge.
The official of the electricity department said that such situation was experienced in 2010 and the department went to the extent of buying power at the rate of Rs 10 per unit but ensured two things—power was made available to the consumers with very few outages and that power tariff, fixed way back in 2005, has not been raised. Chandigarh has also recorded all time high consumption of 23.84 lakh unit in one day on June28. “There is possibility in the next 10 days if temperature continues to rise, this record may also be broken, ” said he.
In the peak hour demand for power in the city has reached 11097 MW compared to 10982 MW and 11030 MW on July 3, 2020 and 2019 respectively. On the other hand, temperature has also recorded an increase of 14 degree celcius from 32.4 degree celcius on June 1 which was increased to 46.4 degree celcisus on June 29.
The official said that power demand in 2010 has made them to prepare a action plan for future power demand. The department has increased the number of 1000 kva and 300 kva transformers to strengthen the distribution network, steps were also taken to improve transmission and line losses were cut down. A new 66 kv sub-station was commissioned in Sector 56 to provide uninterrupted power supply to the southern sectors.
The electricity wing of the department successfully reduced the line losses from 18.67 per cent in 2007-08 to approximately 10 per cent much lower as compared to other states.
The official further stated that conscious of growing demand for power in Chandigarh which was fast emerging as a commercial hub it has gone up from 150 MW per day in 2004 to around 400 MW per day in 2019. The department had also upgrade the 33 kv sub-station to 66 kv sub-stations in Sector 34 and IT park. The department had made arrangements for supply of another 1000 MW. It had also negotiated long-term tie-ups with 15 state/central power projects to ensure uninterrupted power supply.
The UT electricity department has 1179 employees, 2, 30, 000 power connections, 20 sub-st5ations of 220 kv/66kv/33kv, over 850 MVA installed capacity; 1700 distribution T/Fs and 2300 km of HT and LT length of lines.