With rising mercury, power cuts worsen Delhi summer

With increasing temperatures, the power demand in the Capital touched an all-time high of 4,732 MW on Monday. According to the Delhi Transco Limited, the highest power demand of the season was recorded at 2:48 pm.

Mercury is rising in the Capital and frequent power cuts are further making life difficult for Delhiites.

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With increasing temperatures, the power demand in the Capital touched an all-time high of 4,732 MW on Monday. According to the Delhi Transco Limited, the highest power demand of the season was recorded at 2:48 pm. “Though the demand had dropped down by 1,300 MW and stood at 3,366 MW only,” said a senior power department official.

Even as power companies claimed that they were able to meet the demand, Resident Welfare Associations complained of load-shedding. Power department officials explained that power cuts in most part of the city took place due to local faults.

Several parts of east Delhi suffered hour-long power cuts as a technical snag had occurred in the 220-KV Badarpur-Ghazipur line, resulting in a shortage of 50 MW at 2:30 am. “This led to some areas going without power for quite some time. However, as the demand was not very high during that time we were able to control the situation. The fault was found at the Ghazipur and was fixed by Uttar Pradesh Power Transmission Corporation,” added the official.

“It’s the same story every year. In this heat neither you can remain inside nor venture outside in the absence of power,” said Suraj Kumar, a resident of Mayur Vihar.

Areas such as Mayur Vihar phase I and II, Laxmi Nagar, Seelampur, Dilshad Colony, Welcome, East of Kailash, Kalkaji, Kailash Colony, and other areas faced power cuts. According to the power department officials, the situation will become worse in the coming few days with the increase in temperature. “We are expecting power demand of 6,000 MW this summer and depending on the heat and humidity it will increase further,” said a senior official.