With demand for electricity hovering over 37 million unit (MU) per day, showing a rise of about four MU per day in a month, long and unscheduled load shedding for nearly six hours hit normal life here on Sunday.
The electricity supply that went off around 10.00 am on Sunday could be restored only around 3.30 pm.
The matter of concern is that despite a gap of only one MU of power between demand and supply i.e. against a demand of about 37 MU electricity per day availability of power is about 36 MU per day presently, people had to face power cuts for such a long hours upto six hours at a stretch here on Sunday.
More so, despite Chief Minister Harish Rawat's assurance that the Government is committed to provide round the clock power supply to its citizens last month, unscheduled load shedding hitting normal life in different parts of the region has become a routine affair here.
As the citizens here allegedly said whereas power supply remained normal during the lok Sabh election period, now after completion of the two month long election process, now remains disrupted for many hours, hitting normal life in different parts of the region badly.
Some of the areas of the Haldwani region including the Gasgodam Road, Kushumkhera, and R K Tent House Road and adjacent areas to name a few experienced power cuts for over about six hours on Sunday.
According to the figures provided by the Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited (UPCl), whereas gross availability of power in Uttarakhand is around 36.11 MU per day i.e. about 14.23 MU per day from domestic sources, about 14.38 MU per day from Central pool and rest about 7.50 MU per day from other sources, the demand for power has gone up to 37.41 MU per day in the hill State.
Whereas atmospheric temperature has soared over 40 degree C even in hill districts like Kumaon's Bageshwar this summer so far, demand for power which was recorded about 33 MU in first week of May 2014 has also gone upto 37 MU as of now as the figures provided by the UPCl suggest.
The fact of the matter is that demand for electricity may go up in the coming days if atmospheric temperature rises further. The matter of concern is that unscheduled power cuts for long period also lead to disruption in smooth supply of drinking water supply particularly in urban areas which are mostly dependent on power driven drinking water distribution system like tubewells.
More so, delay in rectifying fault in electricity distribution system only adds to the woes of the citizens. The situation of power supply due to the unscheduled power cuts coupled with local faults as has been reported is not less concerning in the hilly areas.