Chandigarh, July 6 -- Prevailing humidity amid monsoon and increased agricultural activity due to paddy transplantation drove Punjab's power demand higher on Saturday, soaring to an all-time high of 17,233 MW. The power consumption has spiked consecutively for two days - reaching 16, 983 MW on Friday. To meet this unprecedented demand, the Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) drew over 10,600 MW from the northern grid, while its own power generation stood at 6,560 MW. All state thermal units operated at full capacity, with the three government-run plants contributing 1,968 MW. Meanwhile, the privately operated Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal plants generated around 3,100 MW combined. Hydropower also played a role, generating a total of 1,048 MW, including 550 MW from the Ranjit Sagar Dam. According to the Northern Regional Load Despatch Centre (NRLDC), power demand on Friday fluctuated between 12,000 MW and 17,000 MW, with total supply reaching 3,448 lakh units. PSPCL's internal report pegged the day's peak demand at 17,052 MW-significantly higher than last year's 13,312 MW on the same date. A senior PSPCL engineer from Patiala noted that while there remains a 1,000-1,200 MW gap between restricted and unrestricted supply, the grid is being managed effectively. The coal stock at thermal plants in the state and power sector is sufficient. Lehra Mohabbat thermal plant has 17-day coal stock, Ropar thermal plant for 30 days and Goindwal for 20 days. In the private sector, Rajpura has 25-day stock and Talwandi Sabo for 23 days. The water level in Bhakra Dam is 1,583.9 feet, lower by 7 feet as compared to last year's level of 1,591.6 feet .The water inflow on Friday was 44,425 cusecs and outflow was 26,200 cusecs. At Ranjit Sagar Dam, water level is 504.4 metres, up by 2.5 metres as compared to 501.9 metres on the corresponding day. The inflow here was 7,200 cusecs and outflow was 11,650 cusecs. At Pong Dam, the level is 1,324.6 feet, up by 17 feet as compared to last year's 1,307.8 feet. At its reservoir, the inflow was 34,800 cusecs with an outflow of 18,500 cusecs....