Delhi
Power regulator DERC has issued a detailed order on the allocation of power among the discoms
Updated : Apr 09, 2018, 06:15 AM IST
Delhiites can expect lesser power cuts this summer, as power distribution companies have agreed to meet the deficit in certain slots through inter-discom transfers. The Delhi Electricity Regulatory Commission (DERC), the power regulator for the national capital, has issued a detailed order on allocation of power among the discoms -- Tata Power Delhi Distribution Limited (TPDDL), BSES Yamuna Power Limited (BYPL) and BSES Rajdhani Power Limited (BRPL).
Residents in many parts of the capital have already started to feel the heat. Many residents have begun to complain about the long power cuts in their respective areas. "This is every year's routine. As soon as summer sets in, the frequency of power cuts increases. If the government is planning to improve the situation this time, it is a wonderful idea. But this should actually take place instead of being just on paper," said Vivek Varma, a resident of Krishna Nagar.
The DERC order said that it was observed during the summer preparedness meetings that the national capital, as a whole, has a power surplus from April to September. However, there is a shortage of power with individual discoms for a few hours during certain fortnights.
"The discoms have agreed to manage a deficit of power in specific slots among themselves by trading through an inter discom transfer (IDT) and have assured that there would not be a shortage of power during summers of 2018-19," it said.
The official said that the arrangement will also help discoms save expenses on short-term power purchase, the bill for which, is ultimately passed on to consumers.
The Delhi government on Thursday announced the Summer Action Plan of power supply arrangements.
The government has projected the peak demand of Delhi at a whopping 7,000 MW during summer this year.
During the summer last year, Delhi had witnessed an all-time peak demand of 6,526 MW on June 6. This peak demand was successfully met by the Delhi Transmission and Distribution system.
The power cuts are at their peak during summers. With no prior information, we are left with no other option than waiting for the power supply to resume. If the government is now planning to take this move of decreasing the power outages, then it will surely help residents. Calling the power department becomes an everyday affair during summers.
—Ishita Gupta, Lajpat Nagar
With low power supply, the day to day functioning of lives gets affected adversely. Our water meter is connected to the electricity and a power outage hampers the overall routine. The government this time seems to be prepared. We want to see just how much it will help us this summer season.
—Sivaranjini, Amar Colony
A lack of electricity leads to water scarcity. Electricity wires are always hanging in the middle of the road. In our overpopulated area, there is a risk to people's lives.
—Harshit Chawla, Chander Vihar
The condition is worst in East Delhi where the power outages are for hours. Mornings are bad as the entire family suffers when the power supply is poor. We have been asking officials to improve the condition of the electricity offices in the area and also that there should be a prior intimation about the long power cuts. But they have been giving false promises and nothing happens
—Jatin Arora, Gagan Vihar
If the electricity department informs us before the power cut, we can plan our day's work accordingly. Whenever we call them when the electricity snaps, they make various excuses. It is not possible that every day, a fault comes up in the power line. The department should take our problem seriously
—Yash Chhabra, Laxmi Nagar
After a hard day at work, I can’t even sleep peacefully at home due to power cuts. We are unable to fill water tanks as the pump works on electricity. How can one live like this?
—Priyanshu Agarwal, Kamla Nagar
A massive increase in the network capacity helped BSES discoms meet the unprecedented load growth. During 2016-2017, BSES discoms added a transformation capacity of around 600 MVA and installed over 670 transformers," a spokesperson of the company said. Innovative ideas such as double-decker sub stations and 2 MVA transformers in congested areas, a crackdown on power theft, focused monitoring and deployment of quick reaction teams to address local issues have also contributed to achie ving the lowest ever power cut, the spokesperson added.
-- A BSES spokesperson