Brace for power cuts as no extra supply likely from J&K this summer
The power department has already started purchasing power of 50 megawatt (MW) daily from the power exchange The power department has already started purchasing power of 50 megawatt (MW) daily from the power exchange
CITY RESIDENTS are likely to face power cuts this summer. For, unlike every year, Chandigarh may not be able to draw additional power from Jammu and Kashmir. Because of this, the power department has already started purchasing power of 50 megawatt (MW) daily from the power exchange.
“However, the peak demand is expected to increase a lot more and the only option left is to go for power cuts on a rotational basis,” said a senior official. Sources said that because the J&K power department had some problem of funds which are to be paid as wheeling charges, they wouldn’t be giving power to UT this time. The J&K government would lend 30 MW to Chandigarh and sometimes even 45 MW during summers and would retrieve the same during winters from UT.
Superintending engineer M P Singh said, “If not J&K, we will take it from the power exchange the way we are purchasing on a daily basis.” Things are likely to worsen now as the demand is increasing each day. The peak demand reaches 450 MW in summers while the capacity is only 260 MW.
The J&K government initially had its outstanding dues of Rs 18 lakh per month that are required to be paid as wheeling charges to the National Load Dispatch Centre (NLDC). J&K has not paid the dues for two months. Wheeling charge is the amount paid for transportation of electric power over transmission lines of the grid. Sources said the UT power department was planning to purchase additional power of around Rs 40 crore.
The electricity department does not have its own power generation source and buys power through its allocation from the central generating stations (CGS): the National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC), National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC), Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL), Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB), Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVN) and Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Ltd (THDC). On average, the city consumes around 1,806 million units (MU) in a year and 4.94 MU on a daily basis. The department caters to 2.12 lakh consumers, of whom 1.75 lakh are in the domestic category. Breakdown
There was a breakdown for 16 hours in Sector 21-D on Sunday. Chairman of FOSWAC Baljinder Bittu said, “Is this smart city? We can’t even deal with a small fault and people are without power for 16 hours and we are aiming to become smart city.”
For all the latest India News, download Indian Express App now