The AP State Power Distribution Corporation Limited (SPDCL) in a statement on Friday announced the implementation of Fridays as a ‘power holiday’ for 253 industrial units with uninterrupted operations and 1,696 factories with the existing weekly holiday under its purview covering the erstwhile Kadapa and Chittoor districts.
SPDCL Chairman and Managing Director (CMD) H. Haranatha Rao attributed the power holiday initiative to a 5% increase in power consumption at the domestic front, and 15% at the agriculture sector, apart from a general spike post the COVID-19 pandemic. The industries with 24x7 operations were sought to implement power holidays on Fridays and a weekend holiday, apart from limiting the consumption to 50%, and other units with a power holiday. He said this would be in force from April 8 to 22. The official said that though the requirement with Discoms is 14,000 MW, the availability stood at 2,000 MW. The strictures would be eased as and when the power availability improves, he said.
