Lucknow power scenario: Record heat pushes demand to 1906 MW, outages add to woes
A LESA official said that 1900 MW will become a new normal in the days to come. In the months of July and August the demand is expected to cross 2000 MW.
The relentless heat wave in Lucknow has driven the city’s power demand to an unprecedented high of 1906 MW, resulting in widespread power outages and exacerbating the city’s water crisis. The power demand, which reached a peak of 1906 MW on Friday, hovered close to 1900 MW again especially during the hot nights.
A LESA official said that 1900 MW will become a new normal in the days to come. In the months of July and August the demand is expected to cross 2000 MW.
As residents battle continued high temperatures, the city’s power infrastructure remains under immense pressure, leading to frequent outages and water shortages.
LESA staff is facing challenges in maintaining essential services. On condition of anonymity, a senior official of LESA admitted that the power rostering is done during the day and night hours when the load is maximum on transformers.
Areas of Rakabganj, Khajua, Maulviganj, Mashakganj, Nakkhas, Victoria street, Chowk, Thakurganj, are suffering multiple power cuts of 1 to 2 hours during the day because of undeclared power rostering.
A technical fault in a 40 MVA power transformer at the 132 KV Sahara City Homes transmission sub-station led to a power shutdown in areas including Faizullaganj from 2:40 PM to 5:00 PM.
Multiple power outages
Areas such as Lakshmanpuri and Sheetalapuram faced a seven-hour breakdown on Monday. The blackout left residents without water as electrical pumps failed to operate. Despite numerous calls to the sub-station, the supply was not restored until 9:00 PM, leaving many households without essential services for several hours.
In Chinhat, a transformer malfunction on Sunday caused a power disruption lasting over four hours, adding to the residents’ woes. Similarly, Aliganj faced a power outage for more than five hours due to a local fault, further compounding the distress caused by the heat wave.
Voltage issues too
Vikram Nagar experienced frequent power cuts every half hour at night over the weekend, leaving residents frustrated and unable to sleep. On Natkheda Road, an overnight power outage caused significant inconvenience. Resident Manish Arora reported that even inverters, which usually provide temporary relief during outages, were unable to cope with the prolonged power cut.
In Alambagh, areas such as Prem Nagar and Vishweshwar Nagar faced a four-hour power cut, while Nazirabad experienced a power failure from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM. Suresh Chhablani, president of the Nazirabad Traders Association, highlighted the severe impact of the outage on daily activities and business operations due to power rostering.
Low voltage problems plagued Bazaar Khala, while Himalayan City Colony on Bijnor Road endured a four-hour power cut on Sunday. Madiaon, Gayatrinagar suffered two-hour outages, and Buddheshwar faced similar disruptions.
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