According to official power data, the state’s electricity requirement touched nearly 16,940 MW during the day, reflecting a sharp rise in consumption driven by soaring temperatures and increased agricultural activity.
Image: IANS
Punjab’s electricity demand climbed close to 17,000 MW on Monday as an intense heatwave, coupled with peak paddy transplantation, placed unprecedented pressure on the state’s power infrastructure, triggering widespread outages and fresh protests by farmers.
According to official power data, the state’s electricity requirement touched nearly 16,940 MW during the day, reflecting a sharp rise in consumption driven by soaring temperatures and increased agricultural activity. The growing demand has strained the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL), with several areas reporting unscheduled power cuts affecting domestic consumers, industries, and the farming sector.
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The power shortage has emerged at a crucial stage of the paddy transplantation season, with farmers alleging that they are not receiving the promised eight-hour electricity supply required to operate irrigation pumps. Farmer organisations claimed the inadequate supply has disrupted agricultural operations and forced many cultivators to depend on diesel generators, significantly increasing production costs.
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The situation has sparked protests across several districts. Farmers staged demonstrations outside electricity grids and blocked roads at multiple locations, including Dhola, Goindwal Sahib, Tapa, Kathunangal, Maur, Patiala, and parts of Muktsar. Protesters demanded an uninterrupted power supply to agricultural feeders and warned of intensifying their agitation if the situation does not improve.
The Kisan Mazdoor Morcha has announced statewide demonstrations outside PSPCL offices on June 30. Organisation leader Sarwan Singh Pandher said farmers would continue their protests unless the government restores the full eight-hour electricity supply promised to the agricultural sector.
Industrial consumers have also expressed concern over the prolonged outages. Representatives of the MSME Furnace Association in Mandi Gobindgarh alleged that industries have been subjected to long power interruptions without adequate prior notice, affecting manufacturing schedules and increasing operational losses. The association has urged the state government and power department to ensure a stable electricity supply to industrial units.
Power sector sources said PSPCL is currently generating only around 5,744 MW from its own power stations, making the state heavily dependent on electricity drawn from the central power pool to meet rising demand. Officials indicated that some thermal power units, including units at the Ropar Thermal Plant, are not operating at full capacity, while one unit at the Lehra Mohabbat Thermal Plant remains shut despite sufficient coal availability.
Experts believe the mismatch between demand and available generation has widened due to the simultaneous rise in domestic cooling requirements and agricultural consumption. They also pointed to operational challenges within the power utility, saying recent administrative and technical issues have affected the corporation’s ability to efficiently manage peak demand.
Meanwhile, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast that the prevailing heatwave conditions are likely to continue on June 29 and 30. Relief is expected from July 1 onwards, when several parts of Punjab may witness light to moderate rainfall accompanied by strong winds of 40 to 50 kmph, which could bring down temperatures and reduce electricity consumption.
With weather conditions expected to remain challenging over the next two days, the Punjab government faces mounting pressure to ensure an uninterrupted power supply, particularly for farmers engaged in paddy transplantation, while also addressing concerns raised by industrial and commercial consumers affected by the ongoing electricity crisis.
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