In tune with expectations, the power consumption in five districts of Telangana has come down drastically in the last two months from October because of lower agricultural demand.
The agricultural demand is generally low in November and December because the water intensive paddy crop is confined to nurseries as part of rabi.
It was only in December end and early January that transplantation of seedlings took place and, as a result, power consumption to irrigate the crop went up.
Therefore, the Northern Power Distribution Company Limited (NPDCL), which services the five districts – Warangal, Karimnagar, Khammam, Nizamabad and Adilabad – expects the consumption to go up from January to April.
Review meeting on functioning of NPDCLA review meeting on the functioning of NPDCL with Power Minister C. Laxma Reddy here on Sunday was informed that the average power consumption in November was 31.07 million units and 33.01 MU in December, whereas it was 39.82 MU at the peak of kharif in October. The NPDCL projected the demand to go up to 41.58 MU in January when rabi was in full swing.
The metered sale of power for low tension, high tension and agricultural consumers had gradually gone up in the five districts in the last six years. It was only 8,943 MU in 2009-10 but went up to 10,287 MU last year.
Till November end this year, the sales were 7,377 MU with the agriculture sector alone consuming 2,931 MU.
The NPDCL authorities informed the Minister that six-hour supply was maintained to all categories of agricultural consumers.
The company released 12,811 new agricultural services in 2014-15 but another 29,000 demand drafts for connections are pending clearance.
ArrearsIts revenue was Rs. 2,832 crore till December end against Rs. 3,437 crore in 2013-14. However, the arrears were also a whopping Rs. 1,213 crore with the share of Warangal at Rs. 324 crore being the highest.
Minor Gram Panchayats in all districts owed Rs. 280 crore.
The arrears payable by the government as subsidy to SC and ST consumers was Rs. 137 crore.
The company serviced a population of 1.54 crore and 48.79 lakh consumers.
The per capita consumption was 661 units.
