Friday's thunderstorm cuts North India's electricity demand by 11 GW

15 May 2024 CW Team

It was reported that Delhi-NCR experienced a dust storm in certain areas between 22:50 and 23:00 IST on Friday, May 10, 2024. In the electricity grid map, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand fall under the Northern Region Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC). As of May 10, the total demand of the northern region was 63 GW.

As per the load crash report prepared by the SLDCs and the NRLDC, there was a reduction in electricity load by more than half within 30 to 55 minutes. Uttar Pradesh saw the highest decrease of 4 GW, followed by Punjab with 3.8 GW. Delhi and Haryana experienced load reductions of 1.5 GW and 2.5 GW, respectively.

Experts mentioned that the decrease occurred due to two factors?a sudden drop in demand and a precautionary outage to prevent transmission-related incidents. Some experts also emphasized the necessity of planning transmission networks for such unexpected events, particularly in the NCR region, known for its high demand.

Rajiv Goyal, CEO of EKI Power Trading, who has previously designed power distribution networks for Greater Noida, Aurangabad, Nagpur, and Ayodhya, remarked that several areas faced prolonged power outages. He suggested that such electricity loss could be prevented if the Delhi NCR area, which has a demand of almost 13 GW and is densely populated with industries and commercial zones, had a robust distribution network with underground cables and feeder isolation systems. He further suggested that the NCR Planning Board should incorporate power infrastructure into its coordinated network design, suitable for high-load-density areas, and secure funding for its development.

According to reports from state load despatch centres (SLDCs) in the northern region, a sudden and severe thunderstorm on Friday night led to a decrease in electricity load of nearly 11 GW. The storm accompanied by gusty winds, thunderstorms, and lightning, affected various northern states. It was reported that Delhi-NCR experienced a dust storm in certain areas between 22:50 and 23:00 IST on Friday, May 10, 2024. In the electricity grid map, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan, Punjab, Jammu and Kashmir, and Uttarakhand fall under the Northern Region Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC). As of May 10, the total demand of the northern region was 63 GW. As per the load crash report prepared by the SLDCs and the NRLDC, there was a reduction in electricity load by more than half within 30 to 55 minutes. Uttar Pradesh saw the highest decrease of 4 GW, followed by Punjab with 3.8 GW. Delhi and Haryana experienced load reductions of 1.5 GW and 2.5 GW, respectively. Experts mentioned that the decrease occurred due to two factors?a sudden drop in demand and a precautionary outage to prevent transmission-related incidents. Some experts also emphasized the necessity of planning transmission networks for such unexpected events, particularly in the NCR region, known for its high demand. Rajiv Goyal, CEO of EKI Power Trading, who has previously designed power distribution networks for Greater Noida, Aurangabad, Nagpur, and Ayodhya, remarked that several areas faced prolonged power outages. He suggested that such electricity loss could be prevented if the Delhi NCR area, which has a demand of almost 13 GW and is densely populated with industries and commercial zones, had a robust distribution network with underground cables and feeder isolation systems. He further suggested that the NCR Planning Board should incorporate power infrastructure into its coordinated network design, suitable for high-load-density areas, and secure funding for its development.

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Tunnelling Begins for Thane, Borivali twin tunnel project

Tunnelling work has commenced for the 11.84-km Thane–Borivali Twin Tunnel, set to be India’s longest urban road tunnel, marking a key milestone in Mumbai’s infrastructure development.As per a post shared by Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority on social media platform X, the tunnel boring machine (TBM) ‘Nayak’—the country’s largest single-shield hard rock TBM for an urban tunnel—was launched by Devendra Fadnavis on Tuesday. The event was attended by Eknath Shinde and Sunetra Pawar, among other dignitaries. A second TBM, ‘Arjuna’, is expected to be launched so..

Infrastructure Transport

07 Apr 2026

Large Format Store Planned At M G Road Metro Station

M G Road station in Bengaluru is set to host the city’s first large-format commercial and experience space, with planning led by Bangalore Metro Rail Corporation Limited. BMRCL has invited proposals to develop and operate a central business district destination at the Purple?Pink Line interchange. The plan positions the station as a commercial hub designed to serve a broad commuter base across the city. The proposal is part of a broader effort to activate transit nodes commercially. Tender documents set a minimum monthly rental of Rs 0.944 million (mn), inclusive of GST, for the large-format..

Infrastructure Energy

07 Apr 2026

Government Cancels Auction Of Eleven Critical Mineral Blocks

The government has cancelled the auction of 11 critical and strategic mineral blocks after receiving a poor investor response and failing to attract a sufficient number of qualified bidders. The decision represents a setback to plans to ramp up domestic exploration and production of critical minerals amid global supply chain disruptions and rising demand for materials used in clean energy and advanced technologies. The mines ministry issued an annulment notice setting out the reasons for the cancellations. The annulment notice indicated that the auction process for five mineral blocks was canc..