Tribune News Service
Chandigarh, June 15
The power demand spiked to 420 MW amid hot and humid weather conditions on Thursday, which is the all-time high so far. Last year, the power demand had peaked to 401 MW. The sudden increase in the demand has made the task of the Power Department difficult. MP Singh, Superintending Engineer of the department, said despite the record increase in the demand, they ensured that residents did not face power outages.
He said the demand was expected to reach 400 MW this summer and they were fully prepared to meet it. The increase in the power quota from 10 per cent to 14 per cent has also helped the department meet the rising demand.
At present, the UT gets 330 MW of power from different sources. The UT does not have its own power generation plant. The department purchases power from Power Trading Corporation, GMR, JSW and NTPC.
Officials said if the demand increased further, the department would procure electricity from the power exchange at the current rates.
Meanwhile, though the department has not imposed any power cut, residents of many sectors have started facing power outages due to snags caused by supply issues. Officials said the demand peaked in the afternoon. The peak demand was recorded at 4 pm on Thursday as the humidity level soared.
Zirakpur swelters due to outages
Zirakpur: Despite the augmentation of the 66kV sub-station at Dhakoli, residents in parts of Zirakpur are facing power cuts, stretching from six to seven hours. Krishna Enclave, AKS Colony and Shiva Enclave are facing power cuts since Thursday. Technical glitches in transmission lines during peak hours further added to people’s misery.
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