Power consumption in Telangana has thrown up surprises this summer, on more than a single count. The State has been spared the tedious summer outages, which had been the norm till last year.
For once, the state-wide consumption figures recorded by the Telangana State Transmission Corporation (TSTransco) since May1 are actually less than the same recorded in the last week of December, when winter was at its peak.
For instance, the State’s projected consumption—calculated taking into account the units not supplied owing to power cuts—as recorded on December 31, 2014, stood close to 137 million units (MU). However, the same on May 8, 2014 was a little above 132 MU, almost five million units less.
The aggregate of such consumption for 10 days prior to and including December 31 last year too was more than the same calculated for 10 days prior to May 8. Such a gap in consumption figures has puzzled even experts in the transmission corporation.
The lower consumption figures could be partly attributed to the city temperatures, which are often less than normal for the season. The city has been mercifully spared of the usual load from air-conditioners. However, the Chief General Manager of APSPDCL Metro Zone, A.G. Sathish Kumar, says that the city is clocking the usual consumption for summer, at 1,000-1,200 MW.
Another major reason for the fall in consumption, field level officials vouch, is the almost non-existent agricultural consumption.
“There appears to be no other plausible reason. The Rabi crop season has passed without any enforced power cuts, that too without the State adding even one megawatt of additional power,” remarks an official on the condition of anonymity.
As per data from the Department of Agriculture, even the area sown in the State was down to 10.5 lakh hectares, which is 20 per cent less than projected. Compared to last year, it is over 32 per cent less.
“Farmers incurred heavy losses in the Kharif season due to drought conditions. Cotton crop was burnt in the fields, and investments were lost. In Rabi, many have not sown, and even where sown, the crops dried up due to lack of water. Majority of the 20 lakh pump-sets in the State have almost remained idle, resulting in lower consumption,” Sarampally Malla Reddy, the vice-president of the All India Kisan Sabha said.
The lower consumption figures could be partly attributed to the city temperatures, which are often less than normal for
the season
