The demand for electricity has reached a record high due to increased use of ACs due to scorching heat and increase in economic activity after the lifting of Kovid restrictions. 

After the knock of the Kovid epidemic in the year 2020, lakhs of people of the country are working from home, even this has increased the use of residential electricity during the day. 

Usually, the gap between the demand and supply of electricity occurs at night when there is no sunlight and the use of air conditioners increases.  

Due to the pressure of increasing production, many power plants are facing fuel shortage.

At present, the stock of coal in use is the lowest in 9 years. 

Despite record production from Coal India, which accounts for 80 per cent of domestic coal, it is facing shortage of coal due to non-availability of adequate coal stocks in railway trains.  

The crisis has forced India to reverse its policy of importing thermal coal and utilities have been instructed to continue importing coal for three years. 

The failure of the authorities to meet the power demand has led to the closure of factories in at least three states. 

Railways has canceled some passenger trains in order to keep the tracks free for movement of coal. 

The government is preparing to reopen 100 coal mines which were earlier considered financially unstable. 

The supply of coal to energy intensive industries was restricted.

In such a situation, factories started drawing electricity from the grid.

This increased industrial costs and put pressure on coal-fired power plants.