Patiala:

With temperature in the northern state hovering between 44 and 46 degrees Celsius, maximum power demand in the region reached 51,846 MW on Wednesday as against power supply of 12,370 lakh units. Haryana had a shortage 0f 400 MW while Punjab had no shortage. On May 22, India recorded maximum cumulative power demand of 1,70,121MW, around 8% higher than the same month last year. Peak demand shortage in the country was recorded at 1,693 MW. According to the report prepared by the Northern Region Load Dispatch Centre (NRLDC), maximum demand in the northern states on May 22 was 56,752 MW, followed by 54,148 MW in the western region.

Demand for power was highest in the northern region, with Uttar Pradesh sourcing 19,082 MW, followed by Rajasthan at 10,395 MW, Punjab at 8,037 MW and Haryana 7,662 MW. Power supply in Punjab was 1,787 lakh units, in Haryana it was 1,612 lakh units, in Rajasthan it was 2,325 lakh units and in Uttar Pradesh, it stood at 4,132 lakh units. On Thursday, Punjab touched maximum demand of 8,325 MW with supply of 1,835 lakh units while maximum demand in Haryana was 7,961 MW with power supply of 1,685 lakh units. Increased power demand has led to spot power rates surging by 50% to a maximum of Rs 11per unit and an average rate of Rs 6.50 per unit. As a result, financially weak power utilities are not able to purchase immediate power from the market. Power demand in Punjab and Haryana is going to increase by more than 4,000 lakh units daily after the 8-hour assured power supply to the agriculture sector for paddy transplantation begins next month.