Delhi's electricity demand has climbed to near-record levels weeks before peak summer, putting the capital's power network under early pressure as temperatures continue to soar across the city.
Amid the ongoing heatwave, the Delhi government on Tuesday said it is preparing a "Power Master Plan" to strengthen the city's electricity distribution system and prevent prolonged outages during periods of high demand.
The announcement comes as Delhi has already crossed 8,400 MW in peak power demand in May, close to last year's summer peak and significantly earlier than usual.
According to State Load Dispatch Centre data, Delhi touched a peak demand of 8,439 MW on Sunday.
"The Delhi Government has prepared a comprehensive Power Master Plan to strengthen the electricity distribution system in the capital," Power Minister Ashish Sood said.
Heatwave Pushes Up Electricity Consumption
The sharp rise in demand comes as Delhi continues to reel under intense heatwave conditions.
The government said the city recorded electricity consumption of 168 million units on May 25 this year, compared to 110 million units on the same date last year.
Delhi recorded temperatures above 43.5 degrees Celsius over the weekend, leading to increased use of air-conditioners, coolers and refrigeration systems across homes and commercial establishments.
"The peak power demand of 8,441 MW, which was recorded last year, has already been successfully met in the month of May this year itself," Mr Sood said.
Delhi's all-time peak power demand stands at 8,656 MW, recorded in June last year. Officials expect the figure could rise further if heatwave conditions continue through June.
Focus On Power Network Ahead Of Peak Summer
Officials said the government is looking at strengthening the electricity distribution network after several areas witnessed outages during last summer's extreme heat.
"During last summer, Delhi experienced power cuts due to issues in the power system. Since then, the Delhi Government has been continuously working to improve the power infrastructure," the minister said.
He added that work on the power network would continue over the next two years as electricity demand rises in the capital.
The India Meteorological Department has forecast continued heatwave conditions across parts of north India this week, with June, usually Delhi's hottest month, still ahead.
Despite the rising demand, the government said no area in Delhi has reported power cuts lasting more than two hours so far this summer. Last year, over 140 such instances were recorded during peak heat conditions, officials said.
