Monsoon brings down power demand
Use of ACs in urban areas, pumpsets in rural areas has reduced
CHENNAI: Heavy rains lashing the State and cooler weather condition have brought down power consumption in the last one week.
The State’s daily energy consumption has come down by 15 per cent to 251 million units on
October 20. With the onset of the North East Monsoon, the State has been witnessing heavy rains leading to less power consumption. On October 14 the power consumption stood at 299 million units.
The city’s power demand has come down to 39 million units on Sunday, which stood at 52 MU on October 14. On Sunday, the peak demand of the city was at 2,188 mega watt, while it was 3,018 MW on October 14.
A senior Tangedco official said that with the rain lashing many parts of the State, there is fall in residential and agricultural power consumption. “The city has been witnessing rain for the last one week and the weather has become cooler during the night time. Due to this, many residents are not switching on their air conditioners which accounts for the maximum power consumption in the city,” the official said.
The agricultural load, too, has fallen due to less usage of motors pump sets for irrigation following widespread rain in the last few days. “This also helps us save power,” an official said. The power demand would continue to remain less until the end of North East monsoon.
The onset of the monsoon also marks the end of the wind power season in the State. The wind mills, which were generating over 70-90 million units in August, generated only 1.3 million units on October 20.
Interestingly, about 3,367 mw capacity of thermal, hydro and gas stations are under forced outages for various reasons, including repairs and wet coal. However, officials said that the outages would not affect the State’s power situation, as the demand is very less.
Conjunctivitis cases go up in the city
As the monsoon has become active, there has been a rise in the number conjunctivitis (popularly called Madras eye) cases.
This is a viral or bacterial infection of the conjunctiva, the thin, protective membrane that covers the surface of the eyeball. But not all conjunctivitis is infectious. “The incidence of conjunctivitis is rising rapidly in Chennai, especially among children. More than 20 per cent of our walk-in patients are diagnosed with conjunctivitis,” said Dr S Soundari, senior ophthalmologist at Dr Agarwal’s Eye Hospitals.
Though it is usually a minor eye infection, it can develop into a serious problem if not diagnosed correctly and treated promptly, she added.
The common symptoms of conjunctivitis are irritation, watering, red eyes, sticky discharge, and sensitivity to light. But when the cornea – the layer on the black part of the eye – is infected, it can result in blurred vision. In rare cases, blood may drip from swollen eyes, a condition known as acute haemorrhagic conjunctivitis.
“There are at least 3-4 patients who come with symptoms of conjunctivitis. The climatic conditions during rains lead to an increase in the incidence, as it offers the optimal temperature for the spread of infections,” said Dr Namitha Babu, chief ophthalmologist, Meenakshi Eye Hospital.
“People should avoid crowded places or share personal belongings, as conjunctivitis is a highly contagious infection. Use of contact lenses and wet wipes should also be avoided,” she added.