Arvind Kejriwal hails power supply in Delhi amid record demand, jabs BJP-ruled UP, Haryana

Delhi's peak power demand surged to an unprecedented 8000 megawatts (MW) at 3:42 pm on Wednesday, breaking the record set just a day earlier.

Delhi's peak power demand hit an all time high of 8000 megawatts (MW) on Wednesday afternoon, Discom official said, amid several heatwave in the national capital. The new record shattered the one set just a before when the peak power demand reached 7,726 MW.

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said BJP-ruled states have been witnessing power cuts of 10-12 hours for the last 2-3 days. (Photo by Sanchit Khanna/ Hindustan Times)

“Today at around 3:42 pm, Delhi’s peak power demand clocked 8000 MW, the highest ever in the history of the national capital,” ANI quoted a Discom official as saying.

“It broke the record created just a day earlier. Yesterday afternoon, the demand surged to an all-time high of 7717 MW and just hours later at 23:01, this record was surpassed again, reaching 7726 MW,” the official added.

Despite the soaring demand, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister Atishi assured residents of the continuous and reliable power supply.

"The Delhi government is providing electricity power for 24 hours. There is no load shedding or blackouts anywhere. Even in this scorching heat, the power supply has been continuing just like it has been in the last 9 years," she said at a press briefing.

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Highlighting the progress in the city's power management, Atishi compared the current situation to that of 2014. "In the summer of 2014, Delhi faced heat waves. The peak demand was 5925 MW. There were lengthy blackouts," she said. "But today, even after a demand of 8000 MW, electricity is available in Delhi for 24 hours."

"In the last three days of the heatwave, the states surrounding Delhi are facing long power cuts. Everywhere there is a BJP government, long power cuts are there," the senoir AAP leader added.

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Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal lauded the uninterrupted power supply amid the record demand as a great achievement for the people of Delhi.

“On the other hand, there are BJP-ruled states like UP, Haryana, Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, where there have been power cuts of 10-12 hours in the last 2-3 days,” the AAP supremo posted on X in Hindi.

“This is the reason why the BJP wants to destroy the Aam Aadmi Party. Because our work shows the truth of their failure to the entire country,” he added.

The national capital is reeling under intense heat with a steady temperature rise. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted heat wave conditions in many parts of Delhi and severe heatwave conditions in some areas.

The discom officials have projected the city's peak power demand to cross 8,000 MW this summer to top around 8200 MW.