Lucknow: Due to severe heat wave in Uttar Pradesh and increased domestic use of electricity, the demand for electricity has increased unexpectedly. All the electricity personnel, UPPCL and Discom management have successfully fulfilled this increased demand by displaying their full skill and dedication and are providing uninterrupted power supply in the entire state for 24 hours, which has provided relief to the people of the state from the problems caused by severe heat and heat wave.
Apart from the supply disruption due to local faults, storm or any other reason, the entire state is being provided power 24 hours a day without any discrimination by making it roster-free. Still, some people are spreading false propaganda that there is no power, which is highly condemnable and malicious.
Urban Development and Energy Minister of Uttar Pradesh, AK Sharma, spoke to media representatives at his residence at 14 Kalidas, Lucknow and gave information about the power supply and system of the state.
Energy Minister AK Sharma said that the maximum demand of 30,618 MW electricity was successfully met in Uttar Pradesh and the highest supply of 655.66 million units of electricity in the entire country was made in the state in a single day.
Currently, Uttar Pradesh is making records by leaving behind all the states in the country and supplying 4000 to 5000 MW more than Maharashtra. He said that last year the maximum demand in the state was 28,284 MW. This year, the summer started with 28,284 MW and it has reached 30,618 MW till now. If there is no relief from the scorching heat in the future, the demand for electricity will increase to more than 31 thousand MW.
He said that preparations have already been made to meet the current demand and contracts for purchasing both thermal and hydroelectric power were signed from those states where there was excess electricity. Electricity was also purchased from private agencies and exchanges.
He said that in the last 2 years, work is being done to strengthen the power system of the state in order to strengthen and bring it back on track after the poor condition of the state’s power system which has been in a bad shape for about 50 years since 1970. In this, maintenance work worth Rs. 17 thousand crores was done under the RDSS scheme, Rs. 5 thousand crores under the business plan and Rs. 1 thousand crores for the development of power system in urban bodies. Under this, dilapidated and hanging wires were removed in the entire state and replaced with AB cables up to 1 lakh km.
19 lakh new poles were installed by removing dilapidated and tilted poles and work was done on 6 lakh transformers, in which new transformers were installed, capacity enhancement and repair work was done. Accountability of personnel has been fixed in case of transformer burning. For the first time, cooling arrangements have also been made to keep the temperature of the transformer normal. With all these works, this unexpected demand of power is being met safely, which has never been supplied in such a large quantity before. He said that all the electricity officers and employees are working continuously to provide uninterrupted electricity to the consumers by staying awake the whole night in the scorching heat and facing the scorching heat, which deserves congratulations. All consumers should cooperate with the electricity personnel in such situations.
The Energy Minister said that it is not only the resolution but also the firm desire of the state government that the state will get 24-hour electricity supply. For this, the power generation was increased by increasing the capacity of the power generation units of the state by 06 to 10 percent. Due to which the maximum power demand of 13 to 14 thousand megawatts during the year 2012-2017 is less than the minimum demand of this time.
Whereas the present government has given connections to more than 1.50 crore consumers and electrified more than 1.25 lakh villages. To overcome the power crisis of the state, not only thermal power generation is being increased, but work is also being done rapidly on solar energy. Solar plants of 10 thousand MW capacity have been installed in Bundelkhand region and all of them have also got Green Corridor connectivity. Now they are in production position. Electricity is being generated from 350 MW solar rooftop.
On the call of Prime Minister for solar energy in every home, work is going on rapidly in the production of solar energy. 2500 houses in Varanasi have been covered with solar rooftop. The Energy Minister has given strict instructions that strict action will be taken against those who steal electricity and those who get the theft done, no one will be spared. While electricity theft causes revenue loss to the government, it also creates hindrance in supplying electricity to honest consumers. He said that the state government has waived the electricity bills of private tube wells of farmers from April 01, 2023. Electricity rates have not been increased in the state for the last 04 years. The state government will try to ensure that electricity rates do not increase in future as well. The public welfare government of the state believes in reducing electricity rates and not in increasing them.
He said that the disruptions and shortcomings in uninterrupted power supply will also be removed soon. The Energy Minister has appealed to all consumers to consume electricity in a controlled manner. He also congratulated all the electricity personnel, UPPCL and Discom management for providing uninterrupted power supply in adverse circumstances.
