Heatwave sweeps across several states, India's peak power demand hits all-time high

The country's peak power demand met touched an all-time high of 207.11 GW on Friday.

New Delhi: Amid a severe heatwave spell across the country, the peak power demand in India hit an all-time high of 207.11 GW on Friday (April 29, 2022), the Centre said as various states continued to grapple with power shortages.

"The maximum all India demand met touched 2,07,111 MW at 14:50 hrs today, an all-time high so far!," the ministry of Power said on Friday.

The same was at 204.65 GW on Thursday.

The maximum All India
demand met touched 207111 MW at 14:50hrs today, an all time high so far!@PIB_India @DDNewslive @airnewsalerts @MIB_India @mygovindia @OfficeOfRKSingh — Ministry of Power (@MinOfPower) April 29, 2022

Meanwhile, Congress and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) held the Centre responsible for the ongoing power crisis and alleged that logistical support was not being provided for coal distribution to power plants.

Former Congress chief Rahul Gandhi said that the Modi government should stop running the "bulldozer of hatred" and start running power plants instead.

"I am saying again - This crisis will destroy small industries, due to which unemployment will increase further. Small children cannot stand this scorching heat. The lives of patients admitted in hospitals are at stake. There will be financial loss by stopping rail, metro services," Gandhi said.

Rajasthan Chief Minister Ashok Gehlot said it was the job of the Centre to provide coal to the states. 

Congress spokesperson Gourav Vallabh said that 16 states are forced to have daily power cuts of up to 10 hours and power stations with 72,074 MW capacity are not operating due to the non-availability of coal even though there is no shortage of it.

He also claimed that 106 of the total 173 power plants are having less than 25 per cent of their usual reserve and states are being forced to buy power as high as Rs 12 per MW.

"Will the directionless state BJP leadership ask the Centre why is it not able to provide coal in accordance with the demand, due to which there has been a crisis in 16 states?" he asked.

The Arvind Kejriwal-led Delhi government also flagged an "acute shortage" of coal, claiming that many power plants are left with only one day stock and warned of supply disruptions to the national capital.

Union Coal Minister Pralhad Joshi, however, said that Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has a "habit of lying" and assured that there is no need for any panic. 

Why is AAP lying? pic.twitter.com/mbQwG6L9UT — Pralhad Joshi (@JoshiPralhad) April 29, 2022

The All India Power Engineers Federation (AIPEF) claimed that a lack of coordination amongst ministries of coal, railways and power is responsible for coal shortage which has caused power outages.

Heatwave aggravates, mercury crosses 46-degrees Celsius

A torrid heatwave sent the mercury soaring across several parts of the country on Friday, with Banda in east Uttar Pradesh logging a record high of 47.4 degrees Celsius for April, besides many other places also registering all-time high temperatures for the month.

Allahabad, Jhansi and Lucknow in Uttar Pradesh also recorded all-time high temperatures for April at 46.8 degrees Celsius, 46.2 degrees Celsius and 45.1 degrees Celsius respectively.

Gurugram in Haryana and Satna in Madhya Pradesh also witnessed their respective all-time highs for the month at 45.9 degrees Celsius and 45.3 degrees Celsius.

Among other places, Delhi's Sports Complex observatory recorded a maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees Celsius, Rajasthan's Ganganagar 46.4 degrees Celsius, Madhya Pradesh's Nowgong 46.2 degrees Celsius and Maharashtra's Chandrapur 46.4 degrees Celsius.

According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the heatwave spell will persist over northwest and central India till May 2 and over east India till April 30.

(With agency inputs)