The Hindu Business Line : Centre, States call for curbs on power usage to tide over crisis

‘During the last few days, the shortfall in hydro generation compared with corresponding days of last year was as high as 72 to 126 million unit a day.’

Our Bureau

New Delhi, June 27 Faced with an unprecedented power shortage situation, both the Centre and States are resorting to extreme steps to curb electricity consumption.

The Union Power Ministry on Friday issued a request to all the Central Government Ministries and departments to curb the usage of electricity till the monsoons.

No air conditioners

The Centre’s directive follows a bevy of steps announced by States, including the Punjab Government’s ban on air-conditioners in all government offices throughout the State from Thursday for ensuring power to farmers for the paddy sowing season. Orissa had earlier announced its decision to bring in load restriction on industrial users by 50 per cent, among other measure, to tackle the crisis while in Haryana, the distribution utilities have restricted power supply to industry to eight hours daily.

Other States are also stepping up the action amid directives from National Grid managers that a grid collapse is inevitable if overdrawals by States are not curbed. The measures come in the wake of continued spell of dry and hot weather due to delay of monsoon, which has led to increased demand for electricity on the one hand and reduction of generation from hydro power stations on the other hand.

Official request

The Union Power Ministry’s official request to various Ministries and Departments of the Government of India has asked them to restrict the consumption of electricity during the day time by reducing the use of high power consuming electrical gadgets, specially the air conditioners, till the spread of monsoon.

“During the last few days, the shortfall in hydro generation compared with corresponding days of last year was as high as 72 to 126 million unit a day. The problem has been compounded by a few States overdrawing electricity from the grid in a bid to meet their own demand, even at the cost of overall safety and security of the integrated grid.

“Under the prevailing circumstances, there is an emergent need for taking measures for reducing the consumption of electricity,” the Ministry said in its letter.