EPDCL overcomes power shortage this summer

VISAKHAPATNAM: The Eastern Power Distribution Company of AP Limited (APEPDCL) has a sort of 'first' to its credit. It has successfully overcome the power shortage and ensured that there are no scheduled powercuts under its jurisdiction during the peak summer. APEPDCL supplies power to consumers in Srikakulam, Vizianagaram, Visakhapatnam, and East Godavari and West Godavari districts.
Officials attribute the 'success' to APEPDCL's ability to manage sufficient power supply from the main grid in south India.
The discom had imposed powercuts in May last year. But so far this year, it did not resort to unscheduled power outages. Last year it had imposed one hour powercut in Visakhapatnam city, two hours in district headquarters, municipal corporations (other than Visakhapatnam) and municipal towns, and three hours in mandal headquarters and villages. Last year it faced shortage of 2.35 million units against its demand of 45.65 million units.
But this year the discom managed to the peak power demand of 49.41 million units without resorting to powercuts.
K Lakshmi Narayana Rao, director in-charge (operations), said EPDCL could provide uninterrupted power supply thanks to the steps taken by the state government.
According to discom officials, the total number of consumers were 49,42,977 as on March 31, 2014. Within one year, the number of consumers rose to 51,07,277. The maximum power demand also increased this year when compared to that of the last year. On May 15, 2014 the maximum power demand was 1944 MW, while it was 2364 MW on May 15 this year.
"In all 1,64,300 consumers had increased in the past one year. But the discom could not feel the pinch. It's a great achievement," said a senior APEPDCL official. This is for the first time in 15 years of its existence that EPDCL did not resort to powercuts during peak summer.
But consumers like P Ravi Mohan from MVP Colony allege that the APEPDCL had been resorting to unscheduled powercuts on regular basis.
Visakhapatnam operation circle superintending engineer M Satyanarayana Murthy said the APEPDCL had imposed powercuts to take up 'pre-monsoon rectification' work.