TIRUCHY: Keeping in pace with the rise in mercury, power demand in Tiruchy district has surged by nearly 26%, rising from around 475 MW on April 1 to nearly 600 MW in the recent days. This has been putting pressure on the distribution network.
According to Tamil Nadu Power Distribution Corporation Limited (TNPDCL), daily demand has consistently remained above 570 MW over the past 10 days, touching 599.67 MW on April 27-the highest recorded so far this year and also among peak levels in the last three years.
“There has been a steady rise in domestic consumption, particularly due to the growing use of air conditioners. Even in rural areas, the number of households with two ACs has increased,” a senior TNPDCL official said.
To manage the rising load, TNPDCL has been strengthening its distribution infrastructure and balancing supply by diverting power from rural feeders during peak hours. However, officials said this strategy is becoming tough as rural consumption too has risen consistently, limiting the scope for load adjustment.
The situation has been further complicated by restrictions on major maintenance works due to the model code of conduct in force. Despite this, officials said uninterrupted power supply was maintained on polling day and power outages on other days were largely restricted to under 10 minutes.
Residents in some parts of the city, however, have reported intermittent power disruption, particularly between 6 pm and 9 pm. Officials attributed this to “jumper cuts,” a technical issue that occurs when distribution lines are overloaded mainly during the evening hours when the domestic demand and commercial demand peak.
To address the long-term demand, TNPDCL identified 217 locations across the district last year where additional transformers were required. “More than 200 transformers have already been installed, and work is under way in the remaining locations. We are also planning to install higher-capacity transformers before the end of summer,” the official added.