Amid Coal Shortage, Heatwave Pushes India's Power Demand To An All-Time High
It is peak summer in most parts of central, northern and northwestern India, with the temperatures setting new records for being the hottest days and months.
The heatwave that is prevailing in most of northwestern India is also pushing the power demand in the country.
According to the ministry of power, the maximum all India electricity demand met touched 2,07,111 MW at 2.50 pm on Friday.
This, according to the power ministry is an all-time high.
Power demand has been on the rise ever since the onset of the summer season this year. The power demand met this month up to April 28 increased by 12.1 per cent to 204.653 GW from 182.559 GW during the same period the previous year, the ministry said.
The maximum all-India demand met on Thursday was 204,653 MW.
Heat wave grips India
The heatwave sent temperatures soaring across large swathes of the country on Friday, with Banda in east Uttar Pradesh logging a record high of 47.4 degrees Celsius.
The mercury breached the 46-degree Celsius mark in several places such as Allahabad (46.8 degrees Celsius) and Jhansi (46.2 degrees Celsius) in Uttar Pradesh; Sports Complex (46.4 degrees Celsius) in Delhi; Ganganagar (46.4 degrees Celsius) in Rajasthan; Nowgong (46.2 degrees Celsius) in Madhya Pradesh; and Maharashtra's Chandrapur (46.4 degrees Celsius).
Gurugram recorded an all-time high of 45.9 degrees Celsius.
Delhi's Safdarjung Observatory, the national capital's base station, recorded a maximum temperature of 43.5 degrees Celsius for the second day on the trot.
It is the highest maximum temperature for a day in April in 12 years in the city. Delhi had recorded a maximum temperature of 43.7 degrees Celsius on April 18, 2010.
Increase in power demand, but no coal?
The rise in power demand comes at a time when the country is facing an acute coal shortage.
Several states in India have been complaining that the coal stocks with them will only last for a few days.
Many states have also resorted to power cuts to keep the supplies going.
Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain said on Friday that there is severe coal crisis across the country and many power plants have just one day's coal stoks left.
Raising the alarm over the ongoing coal crisis, Jain said, "No (power) backup (is there)... (the) coal backup should be for over 21 days, but at many power plants, less than a day's (stock) is left."
He added, "If electricity is being produced, and we keep getting it, there's no issue. But if the power plant shuts down, it will be problematic (in Delhi)... There's a coal shortage in the country."
However, the NTPC later issued a statement that read: "All six units of Dadri and five units of Unchahar are running at full capacity and receiving regular coal supplies. Present stock is 140,000 MT and 95,000 MT, respectively, and import coal supplies are also in pipeline."
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