Power Demand Hits All-Time High 873MW, Raises Outages Concerns Nagpur: Electricity demand in the city surged to an all-time high of 873 megawatts (MW) on April 27, straining the already overburdened power distribution network amid a severe heatwave. The spike in demand has raised alarms about potential power outages in the coming weeks as summer intensifies. Officials from Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) noted that a 20% annual rise in demand is typical, but this year’s figure is unprecedented. The peak demand recorded last year was 753MW in May, while the city’s average winter demand hovers around 500MW. "The demand has crossed 800MW multiple times this season, putting immense pressure on the system," said a senior MSEDCL official. Recent data showed the city recorded 853MW on April 25 and 816MW on April 26, with peak demand typically occurring between 6pm and 9pm. The rising load has already begun to impact residents, with frequent tripping and short-duration outages reported in several areas. Many households have experienced prolonged power cuts, exacerbating the discomfort during extreme temperatures. Despite earlier assurances from MSEDCL that tripping incidents would decline after May 1, citizens remain skeptical. Shishir Kalbande, a resident of Manewada, expressed concern: "If this is the situation now, it’s worrying to even think what will happen during peak summer next month." MSEDCL has urged residents to use electricity cautiously, particularly during peak hours between 6am and 9am and 6pm and 9pm, to ease the strain on the grid. However, the issue has drawn political scrutiny. Chandrashekhar Bawankule, the state revenue minister and former energy minister, criticized MSEDCL for failing to manage the increased load despite the state having surplus power.#nagpur #mSEDCL #chandrashekhar_bawankule #shishir_kalbande
