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Declare this heatwave a natural calamity: Power engineers’ body
AIPEF chairman Shailendra Dubey brought the issue to the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter on Monday, with copies also mailed to the chief ministers of all states and Union Territories.
All India Power Engineers’ Federation (AIPEF) has called for the ongoing heatwave to be declared a natural calamity in view of the soaring demand for electricity amid extreme heat conditions.
AIPEF chairman Shailendra Dubey brought the issue to the attention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in a letter on Monday, with copies also mailed to the chief ministers of all states and Union Territories.
AIPEF reports that the extreme heat, particularly in northern India, has led to unprecedented peak power demand in the region. On May 30, the northern region hit a record demand for 86.7 GW. This month, peak power demand surpassed 29,000 MW in Uttar Pradesh, 14,000 MW in Punjab, 12,000 MW in Haryana, and 8,300 MW in Delhi.
“Nationally, power demand reached a new peak of 250 GW, surpassing the previous high of 243.3 GW set in September 2023. With paddy sowing expected to commence in mid-June 2024, power demand is projected to continue rising,” Dubey said in the letter.
In light of these circumstances, AIPEF has urged the prime minister to declare the current heat wave a national calamity, akin to floods and cyclones, and to implement short and mid-term measures to address the situation.
The short-term measurers suggested by the AIPEF include change office hours to 7 am to 2 pm, close all commercial establishments, malls, and shops by 7 pm, impose peak load restrictions on industries, address power theft under the National Security Act (NSA), halt the policy of free power immediately and shift the paddy sowing date to June 25, 2024.
Among the mid-term measures suggested by the AIPEF are- ensure no distribution transformer is loaded beyond 75% of its capacity, regularly check and maintain earthing systems at substations and distribution transformers, replace old conductors with new ones.
