This summer, electricity consumers in Bengaluru city and other towns in eight districts coming under Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom), need not sweat over power cuts if the promise by the power utility is to be believed. Bescom claims to be well-prepared to face the heat during the months of March, April and May.
“The next two months will be our exam time as well. But this summer, there will be no load shedding,” maintained Pankaj Kumar Pandey, Managing Director, Bescom on Wednesday. The announcement came despite several parts of the city already facing intermittent power supply, which is being blamed on ‘technical glitches’.
But Mr. Pandey admitted that Bescom would have to resort to load shedding if the generators failed to supply power.
Bengaluru city consumes nearly 25 per cent of the State’s power (Bescom’s total consumption being 4,500 MW), with lighting accounting for a substantial share. The city is witnessing a minimum peak of 1,300 MW and a maximum of 2,400 MW.
The plan
Bescom is taking steps to ensure a smooth summer with backing from hydel resources. A roster has been drawn up for agricultural feeders to “flatten the peak load”, with the peak being brought down by 300 MW so far. Instead of the earlier five-hour supply in the morning and two hours at night, the summer months will see four-hour supply in the morning and three-hour supply in the evening.
