CHENNAI: Normal life was affected in Chennai due to power outage and irate residents of Vyasarpadi blocked traffic along Grand Northern Trunk road after the power tripped at 8.30 pm and was not reinstated until midnight. The roko from the Vyasarpadi Power Station along GNT Road, led to a pileup of traffic till 2 am (Thursday). According to TNEB sources, peak summer season has not yet started in Chennai but power demand has been consistently crossing the 3,000 mw mark during the past two weeks, due to the usage of air conditioners. The extra load has taken a toll on the non-maintained transformers and substations, due to which the city residents are experiencing continuous outages during the nights.
Peak demand in Chennai touched an all-time high of 3,120 Mw on April 22 and April 23, surpassing the previous record of 3076 mw on May 23, 2016. This year, the demand touched the 3000mw mark a month ahead, on April 18 recording 3062Mw. A senior TNEB official said, 40 per cent of the transformers in the city need to be changed. “As power demand is hitting an all-time high, disruptions are being witnessed in rotational basis due to damages in the existing infrastructure”. If power outages were witnessed in April, what would be the situation during the dog days in May, questioned A. Karunakaran, a former TNEB employee.
