No electricity for malls after 10 pm: LG

After nine days of the devastating thunderstorm, Delhi Power distribution companies have not been able to restore power supply yet. 

Major parts of the national capital are reeling under power outages due to 400 MW load shedding during the night. Power supply will also be stopped to government establishments including Delhi Secretariat and other government offices. 

Also, power supply to malls will not be available after 10 PM. The Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung on Sunday issued orders while announcing a slew of measures to address the power crisis.

Najeeb Jung also directed the power companies to announce the schedule for power cuts to people 

in advance and stop electricity supply to malls after 10 p.m.

‘Peak load conditions occur in the city between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. and again from 10 p.m. to 1 a.m. So, whenever there is less power supply, the power distribution companies will announce a schedule informing people about the timings when electric supply will be cut.

‘Discoms are working out a schedule which will be shared with the public. Also power supply to malls will not be available after 10 p.m.,’ Jung said in a statement.

Besides this, the high mast halogen lamps in the streets which consume more power, will now be switched off during peak hours at night to conserve energy.

Jung reviewed the power situation in a special meeting he called on Sunday and ordered adoption of several measures to deal with power shortage. 

The meeting was attended by chief secretary, principal secretary (power), senior officers of Delhi Transco Ltd. and chief executive officers of all discoms.

‘Government establishments, including Delhi secretariat and other offices, universities, colleges have been advised to switch off air conditioning between 3.30 p.m. and 4.30 p.m. to conserve power. This does not include emergency services and institutions such as hospitals,’ said the statement.

Discoms have also been asked to strengthen their call centres by increasing the number of lines and deploying additional staff so that there is better communication with the public.

Jung has also appealed to the citizens of Delhi to bear with the situation, as the city is trying to cope with the damage caused to its transmission towers and power lines due to the recent thunderstorms.

He said people should run their air-conditioners at 25 degree Celsius or above and take all measures at home and offices to conserve electricity.

On Saturday, the demand of 5,152 MW was met but as there was an unrestricted peak demand of about 5,600 MW, it resulted in load shedding of around 400 MW during peak hours in several parts of the city.

Hence areas like Uttam Nagar, Dwarka, Ghazipur, Mayur Vihar, Geeta Colony and Daryaganj, among others, were affected. 

Amidst Delhi’s soaring temperatures and frequent power cuts, Jung announced that malls in the city won’t get electricity after 10 pm.

But would the woes of Delhi residents, who have been grappling unending power cuts along with the sizzling heat, end by taking these measures?

Anshuman Shekhar, 25, lives in East Delhi’s Dilshad Garden. He says that the latest step is unlikely to have any effect on the lives of the residents of Delhi. ‘The LG’s order is like uth ke muh main jeera. I don’t believe that the vast population of Delhi will have any respite this summer even if the malls will not be given power after 10 pm. It’s too little, too late.’

Anjali Rambal, a resident of Panchsheel Park in South Delhi echoes the same opinion by saying that this cannot be a long term solution for the city’s power crisis.

She explains, ‘Our electricity bill this month was over Rs 3,000 but in spite of paying so much, I don’t see any reliable power supply here. I think curbing the power supply to malls is alright but it can’t be a long term solution. And since the educational institutes are mostly closed now, I am not sure how much it would aid power conservation.’ 

Others like Ashima Gandhi, a young artist, worry whether power supply to the malls would lead to cancellation of the late night movie shows too.

Gandhi says, ‘If the malls are not given power, they might stop holding late night shows, which would be a sham. So many families and people who work late hours go to a mall to see late night shows. If this also stops, then the summer would only get worse.’