VIJAYAWADA: The power consumption by households in Krishna district has increased sharply, thanks to the hot summer season. Due to increase in day and night temperatures, the usage of air conditioners, air coolers and refrigerators has increased manifold. According to sources, the power consumption in the district has shot up by 30 per cent from the previous year.
While the monthly power load in January and February was 650 megawatts, the same has touched 760 megawatts in March. During other seasons, the city of Vijayawada consumes five million units of power every day on an average, as compared to Krishna district’s 13 million units. However, the power consumption of the district has shot up to 16 million unitd, taking the monthly consumption to 480 million units from 390 million units.
The APSPDCL (Andhra Pradesh Southern Power Distribution Company Limited) is supplying uninterrupted power to every household, business establishments and industries across the district with the help of 235 11kv substations installed in the district. With the setting up of Jakkampudi financial city and Malavalli industrial city, the SPDCL is planning to establish 13kv substations to meet the growing power demand.
The SPDCL has given 26,000 new connections to the poor by collecting nominal charge of Rs125 as part of the nation-wide scheme to supply power to every village. N Venkateswarlu, APSPDCL Superintending Engineer, Krishna district, said, “There is no problem to supply power 24x7 in the city and other parts of the district this summer in spite of increasing demand. The overall power demand has increased by 30 per cent. The industrial demand is always constant whether it is summer or winter. Post bifurcation of the State, we have surplus power.”
Power thefts
If the power demand is increasing in the district so is the power theft cases. In March alone, 2,349 power theft cases worth J1.37 crore were registered across the district. As many 1,108 power theft cases worth J55 lakh were registered in the district in April(till date).