Power officials on alert as electricity demand surges

Hyderabad: Telangana’s Principal Secretary for Energy, Navin Mittal, has issued a directive for power officials to maintain a high degree of vigilance, as electricity demand has seen a significant increase this monsoon season compared to last year, with further rises anticipated in the coming days.

During a video conference with officials from the Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana, also attended by Chairman & Managing Director Musharraf Faruqui, the Secretary emphasised the government’s utmost priority for the power sector and its continuous monitoring of electricity supply.

In Greater Hyderabad, considerable consumption is noted across industrial, commercial, and domestic sectors. Additionally, millions of agricultural motors are running continuously due to uninterrupted power supply for farming, leading to substantial demand even during the monsoon. The state’s peak demand, which stood at 13,541 MW on July 31 last year (2024), escalated by a notable 14.05% to reach 15,443 MW on July 16 this year.

With paddy sowing gaining momentum, a further substantial increase in power demand is likely in the upcoming days. Against this backdrop, Navin Mittal instructed officials and staff, from the Chairman & Managing Director down to lower levels, to remain vigilant and implement measures to prevent any disruptions. He specifically urged personnel to be particularly cautious during the monsoon season, ensuring their presence in offices during rainfall to effectively monitor the power supply. The video conference was attended by TGSPDCL Directors Dr Narsimhulu, Chakrapani, and Krishna Reddy, along with Chief Engineers, Superintending Engineers, and Divisional Engineers.