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Thursday, July 17, 2008
Govt in a tizzy over power crisis
The power situation in the state is getting grimmer by the day. If rains elude the state even after July 31— though Met department officials ‘predict’ rains— the state will face a serious power crisis as 500 MW unit of the NTPC at Simhadri will be shut down for maintenance.
This, when the state is already facing a shortage of 2,000 MW a day. In fact, the unit No 2 was to be shut down on July 15 but following a special request by the chief minister to the Union power ministry, the Centre has persuaded NTPC not to take up maintenance works till July 31.
Y S Rajasekhara Reddy nearly pressed the panic button more in terms of its likely political fallout during an election year while informing this to the state Cabinet on Wednesday.
An upset CM told energy minister Shabbir Ali that he was receiving several complaints about power cuts during night hours. He directed the minister to immediately hold a review meeting with officials and reschedule load shedding timings and avoid night power cuts at all costs.
He cautioned the energy department that things must be done in a more systematic manner so that complaints from the general public get minimised.
The chief minister also told them to somehow manage to supply seven-hour free power to agriculture. The government has been supplying free power for the past four years and it cannot afford to take any risk at this stage, he is learnt to have told the department.
While expressing hope that the situation would ease by the end of July if it rained as predicted by the Met department, he said that the situation would further improve from September once Reliance gas started flowing in. This would enable generation of 2,000 MW of power. The present shortage is also around 2,000 MW per day. The CM told the Cabinet that the Mumbai court will give its verdict by September and this would ease the situation. But officials do not seem to share this optimism and are keeping their fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, the chief minister asked the agriculture department to be ready with proposals for taking up alternative crops in case the rains do not come even after July 31.
The energy minister said that the thermal units were being put to maximum use and that there was no short supply of coal anywhere. Singareni Collieries has been sending an additional 10 rakes of coal per day and the thermal stations have stocks sufficient from two days to one week, the minister added.
Perhaps all that one can do now is just pray.
This, when the state is already facing a shortage of 2,000 MW a day. In fact, the unit No 2 was to be shut down on July 15 but following a special request by the chief minister to the Union power ministry, the Centre has persuaded NTPC not to take up maintenance works till July 31.
Y S Rajasekhara Reddy nearly pressed the panic button more in terms of its likely political fallout during an election year while informing this to the state Cabinet on Wednesday.
An upset CM told energy minister Shabbir Ali that he was receiving several complaints about power cuts during night hours. He directed the minister to immediately hold a review meeting with officials and reschedule load shedding timings and avoid night power cuts at all costs.
He cautioned the energy department that things must be done in a more systematic manner so that complaints from the general public get minimised.
The chief minister also told them to somehow manage to supply seven-hour free power to agriculture. The government has been supplying free power for the past four years and it cannot afford to take any risk at this stage, he is learnt to have told the department.
While expressing hope that the situation would ease by the end of July if it rained as predicted by the Met department, he said that the situation would further improve from September once Reliance gas started flowing in. This would enable generation of 2,000 MW of power. The present shortage is also around 2,000 MW per day. The CM told the Cabinet that the Mumbai court will give its verdict by September and this would ease the situation. But officials do not seem to share this optimism and are keeping their fingers crossed.
Meanwhile, the chief minister asked the agriculture department to be ready with proposals for taking up alternative crops in case the rains do not come even after July 31.
The energy minister said that the thermal units were being put to maximum use and that there was no short supply of coal anywhere. Singareni Collieries has been sending an additional 10 rakes of coal per day and the thermal stations have stocks sufficient from two days to one week, the minister added.
Perhaps all that one can do now is just pray.
Labels: A.P.Politics
# posted by gopi @ 8:12 AM 
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