Kerala’s daily power consumption hits record high of 100 million units

Electricity usage in Kerala crossed 100 million units (mu) on Thursday, April 13, which is a record high. The power consumption was 100.30 mu which required 4903 megawatts of electricity and both are all-time records, Minister for Electricity K Krishnankutty stated. The soaring temperatures along with scattered summer rains have led to increased power consumption in the state.

In light of the high temperatures, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued an alert for the public. Kannur recorded the highest temperature of 41.3 degree Celsius on Wednesday, while the state recorded an average temperature of 36.2 degree Celsius the same day.

The state’s daily power consumption set a record last year too, with 92 million units in April. Prior to this, the highest daily power consumption was 88.34 mu on May 23, 2019. This was incidentally the vote counting day for the Lok Sabha elections.

The KSDMA, in its alert for the public, has asked to avoid continuous exposure to sunlight for a longer time between 11 am to 3 pm, avoid wastage of water and to store maximum of it during summer rains. The KSDMA also advised to have a bottle of drinking water handy to prevent dehydration.

Among other guidelines, the KSDMA has asked the public to drink as much fresh water as possible and to avoid dehydrating drinks like alcohol, coffee, tea and carbonated soft drinks during the day. The Health Department has also issued alerts for different districts which are witnessing high temperatures. It has urged the public to take all precautionary measures to avoid sunstroke, sunburn and infectious diseases.