Chandigarh: Punjab has hit a historic milestone in power consumption as a combination of scorching summer temperatures and the peak paddy transplantation season has driven electricity demand to unprecedented levels. The state’s power demand reached a record-breaking 17,366 megawatts, marking a staggering increase of approximately 20 per cent compared to the same period last year.
The lack of monsoon rainfall across the region has forced farmers to rely heavily on tube wells for irrigating the water-intensive rice crops. Compounding the agricultural strain, the oppressive humidity has triggered an exponential rise in the use of air conditioners across residential and commercial sectors, further squeezing the state’s electrical grid.
To bridge the massive deficit, Punjab is currently forced to procure over 10,000 megawatts of electricity from the central pool. Despite these heavy imports, the state has been hit with scheduled and unscheduled power outages ranging from one to five hours in several districts. Farmers and domestic consumers alike are feeling the crunch, reporting that the current supply remains inadequate to meet their daily needs.
The ongoing crisis is heavily linked to a temporary pause in monsoon activity across Punjab and Chandigarh, which has caused both humidity levels and daytime temperatures to rebound sharply. The Chandigarh Meteorological Centre has issued a weather warning for July 15, targeting isolated pockets in the districts of Ferozepur, Fazilka, Faridkot, Moga, Bathinda, Barnala, and Mansa.
The weather remained intensely hot and humid across the province on Tuesday, with average temperatures rising by 0.5 degrees Celsius. Bathinda recorded the highest temperature in the state at 39.4 degrees Celsius. The weather department has warned that these sweltering conditions will persist for the next two days. Meanwhile, the minimum overnight temperature also saw a rise of 1.8 degrees Celsius, hovering close to the seasonal average, with Pathankot recording the lowest minimum temperature at 24.2 degrees Celsius.
