Thiruvananthapuram, April 15 (IANS). Kerala is witnessing an unprecedented surge in electricity consumption as households and small businesses have to rely more on electrical appliances due to extreme heat and shortage of cooking gas.
As a result, the power demand in the state reached a peak of 6,012 MW on Tuesday evening, an all-time high. It also surpassed Monday’s figure of 5,933 MW. Total daily consumption also increased to a monthly high of 112.52 million units.
Of this, a major quantity of 87.42 million units was procured from outside the state, indicating Kerala’s increasing dependence on external supplies. In contrast, the contribution of power generation within the state (including hydel power) stood at only 25.09 million units.
Meanwhile, with the electricity consumption continuously increasing, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) is in a state of confusion and is not able to understand what further steps to take.
The reason for this sudden surge in electricity demand is not only the scorching heat but also the change in cooking methods.
Induction cookers are widely used in Kerala, and due to the continuous shortage of LPG cylinders, many households have now started using electric stoves.
This trend is also clearly visible in the roadside dhabas and tea stalls that are common across the state, and many of these places have temporarily stopped using cooking gas and replaced it with electricity-powered alternatives.
On one hand, electricity consumption is continuously increasing, while on the other hand, there is no sign of the heat reducing.
Large parts of the state remained in the grip of extreme heat on Wednesday, and a ‘high temperature alert’ was issued for 12 districts.
The temperature in Palakkad reached 40 degrees Celsius for the second time this season.
–IANS
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