After a gap of several years, load shedding has returned to Maharashtra, raising serious questions over the preparedness of the Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) despite repeated claims of adequate power supply. Sources within MSEDCL confirmed that power cuts began from Friday evening and continued on Saturday evening, with villages bearing the brunt of the shortages.
According to the daily system report of MSEDCL for March 14, the company was able to meet electricity demand during the morning and afternoon hours — around 4 am, 11 am and 4 pm. However, by 8 pm the system faced a shortfall of more than 1,000 MW, forcing the company to impose load shedding.
A senior official, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the sharp rise in temperatures across the state has pushed up electricity demand during evening hours, while supply remains constrained. As a result, villages with high transmission losses are facing power cuts of three to four hours daily since Friday. The situation is further aggravated because solar power generation drops to zero at night, and gas-based power generation has also stopped due to the Gulf conflict, tightening the supply situation.
The development has triggered concern as temperatures in most parts of Maharashtra have not yet crossed 40°C. If the power utility is struggling in March, questions are being raised about how the state will handle peak summer when temperatures approach 45°C. Officials say efforts are underway to stabilise supply and prevent prolonged outages
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