Tepid power consumption in Chhattisgarh despite soaring temperature

The demand for power in Chhattisgarh is not rising in sync with the temperature in the state, which has reached about 40 degress in the capital, Raipur. Instead there has been a decline in electricity offtake in the state

Air-conditioners and coolers in major cities in the state were indeed switched on to beat the heat during the first week of April.

However, the state-owned Chhattisgarh State Power Distribution Company (CSPDC) is in a fix, because power consumption is down to almost 1,000 Mw in what the company considers as peak season.

“Normally the demand increases to 4,500-Mw in April, but this year it is only 3,500 Mw,” CSPDC officials said. A plausible explanation offered was that consumption has been lower this season due to the Covid-19 lockdown,