Captain Amarinder Singh says power crisis is a temporary phenomenon and the power supply shall be restored to its normal position in a very short period of time
Captain Amarinder Singh, the chief minister of Punjab, has assured that the electricity supply will be restored ‘to its normal position’ as the crisis has deepened.
Calling the power crises a ‘temporary phenomenon, the chief minister on Monday stated to resolve the problem ‘in a very short period of time’.
“The intense heatwave coupled with the delayed rains contributed to a sudden surge in power demand. This, in turn, led to a temporary disruption in power supply and consequent public inconvenience, which was most unfortunate,” Amarinder Singh said.
Captain Amarinder Singh added, “However, because of the massive improvements in the power supply system undertaken in the last four years, I assure the people of Punjab that this power crisis is a temporary phenomenon and the power supply shall be restored to its normal position in a very short period of time.”
Earlier on Sunday, July 4, the Punjab Chief Minister’s Office has said that on the directions of Chief Minister Captain Amarinder Singh, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) was ensuring uninterrupted 8-hour electricity supply to farmers daily for paddy sowing even amidst unprecedented demand hike across the domestic sector.
Punjab has been hit by an unprecedented power outage, with both urban and rural regions experiencing lengthy periods of load shedding in the sweltering heat.
The catastrophic power outage was exacerbated early Sunday morning when a second unit at the Talwandi Sabo power plant failed. The outage resulted in a 660 MW energy shortage in the state.
The electricity problem is essentially a supply and demand issue. With the paddy season in full swing, agricultural energy usage has increased dramatically to power borewell pumps, equipment, and other transplantation-related needs. Due to the lack of a monsoon and the extreme heat, home consumption has also soared.
These two causes, together with a rise in overall electricity demand, have pushed the demand to 14,225 MW. Only 12,800 MW of power may be supplied by the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL).
The state is experiencing a historic power outage due to a deficit of approximately 1,500 megawatts.