Brace Up For Power Shortage

The approaching summer season may come as a harrowing experience for the people of Delhi with power officials predicting peak power demand to shoot up to 5,100 MW.

Not only this, the discoms have also warned of power cuts due to shortage in the power supply. "Delhi's ever-increasing power demand in range of average 10 per cent increase year on year, especially during summer, has been setting new records, almost every year," said a senior official of the power department.

"As per the Central Electricity Authority (CEA) Power Demand Assessment Report, Delhi's power demand is likely to touch 8,729 MW by 2016 up from the peak of 4,720 MW in June 2010. According to estimates, Delhi's power demand this summer is all-set to cross 5,100 MW," he said.

Although the Delhi discoms have made adequate tie-ups, the final supply position will depend to a large extent on the availability of power from new power projects of Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) (Chandrapura, Mejia, Koderma and Durgapur, and Maithon), NTPC Jhajjar and Bawana. Most of these plants, were supposed to have been commissioned before the Commonwealth Games. "In fact the DVC power plants were supposed to have been commissioned two-three years ago, but have been getting delayed due to one reason or the other," said the officer.

with thanks : Tribune : link above for detailed news.