Punjab power crisis deepens, thermal plants left with 1-day coal stock
Power crisis in Punjab is inevitable since farmers’ unions had resorted to ‘rail roko’ in protest against the Centre’s agri reforms and the stopping of freight trains thereafter
PATIALA: Punjab is facing at grim and “dark” days ahead as its thermal plants have run out of coal stock, almost. “We are left with only one-day coal stock. Punjab is facing financial losses by drawing power from outside sources. We are also facing voltage fluctuations. Power cuts may be levied only during peak hours, and only if required,” PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director A Venu Prasad said on Monday.
Power crisis in Punjab is inevitable since farmers’ unions had resorted to ‘rail roko’ in protest against the Centre’s agri reforms and the stopping of freight trains thereafter. Although the farmers had relented and shifted their protests from railway tracks, the trains were plied for two days as the protesters were still blocking rail traffic near private power plants in Mansa and Rajpura.
The demand of power in Punjab on Monday was around 5,500 MW, of which over 1,650 MW was generated from internal sources. GVK Goindwal Sahib has installed capacity of 540 MW (270 * 2) whereas TSPL Banawali has installed capacity of 1,980 MW (660 * 3 units) and Nabha Power Plant (NPL), Rajpura, has 1,400 MW installed capacity (700*2 units).
The two state-run power plants had already suspended their operations despite having a few days coal stock in reserve. Ropar power plant (840 MW) can produce 200 lakh unit (LU) per day if run on full capacity, whereas Lehra Mohabbat plant (920 MW) can produce 220 LU per day on full capacity.