Himachal Pradesh: In Himachal Pradesh, due to a lack of rain and snowfall, electricity production from hydropower projects has decreased by up to 10% compared to last year. As a result of this decline in production, the state is compelled to purchase electricity from outside even in November this year. Himachal Pradesh is buying 100 lakh units of electricity daily from the northern grid. Of this, 96 lakh units are supplied by Punjab and Delhi. Currently, a total of 196 lakh units of electricity are being arranged from other states.
The daily electricity demand in Himachal Pradesh is 360 lakh units. Last November, the situation didn’t require any external electricity purchases. This year, due to reduced production, the state has had to resort to buying electricity in November. During the monsoon, there was an 18% decrease in rainfall. There has been no rain so far in October and November, leading several areas in the state to face drought-like conditions. The electricity board is generating only 24 lakh units from its own projects.
In addition to the decrease in water levels, the freezing of water sources has also contributed to lower electricity production. Currently, in higher altitude areas of the state, nighttime temperatures have dropped below freezing. This has resulted in a reduction of water flowing to hydropower projects from smaller sources, which have started to freeze.