Chandigarh, December 22
Electricity consumers, beware! Power cuts and blackouts are on the anvil in Punjab. Though the Punjab State Electricity Board is out in the market to buy power to meet its growing requirements, yet it is still not able to satiate the demand of all its consumers — rural sector, industry, trade and above all domestic consumers.
As of today, power cuts on urban industrial consumers will be between five and six hours a day while in major cities, it will two to three hours of power cut. Three-hour power cut on large industrial units of the state will cost the PSEB Rs 110 crore a month.
Below average south-west monsoon, no rains in winter so far, water level in various reservoirs touching an all-time low and snowcapping of hills in the catchment area of major reservoirs being a mere 40 per cent of the normal portray a dismal power scenario for the coming months.
Power generation at hydel projects has been down by about 30 per cent. Against a generation of 9287 MUs (million units) last year, the PSEB expects only 6948 MUs this time, meaning thereby that there is 14 to 15 per cent shortage in energy available (after including central allocation of 1200 MW ).
Though 30 per cent deficit in demand is being made by purchasing power from outside, it would cost the board dearly. It has been paying Rs 3 a unit and would spend about Rs 2400 crore this year against Rs 1600 cr last year. Against a daily demand of 800 lakh units a day, the availability was about 700 lakh units.
The PSEB is now using thermal stations to the maximum generation. Besides, it is also strengthening transmission network on war-footing by constructing 52 new grid substations with 475 MVA additional capacity. The board has already commissioned 175 km of new lines.
The Punjab Chief Minister, Capt Amarinder Singh, and the Power Minister, Mr Lal Singh, told newsmen today that the board had been able to maintain six-hour power supply to the farm sector for wheat sowing against eight hour supply during paddy season. Power supply was also being ensured to potato and vegetable
growing areas.
Since the frequency was very low, uninterrupted power supply to the farm sector was mostly made at night. Because of overdrawals owing to increased demand for power, the Power Grid Corporation of India had threatened to disconnect the supply to the state.
The PSEB has been buying power from the eastern-western sector. Efforts are also being made to purchase more power from Delhi, besides some additional power from the eastern sector — West Bengal and Orissa — to minimise the gap between the demand and supply. Till the end of November this year, it had bought 8628 mllion units of power compared to 6628 million units during the same period last year.
The PSEB, says its chairman, Mr Y.S. Ratra, is also entering into agreements with Dulhasti (390 MW), Tehri (100 MW) and Kishanganga (330 MW) for additional requirement.
The board hopes to off-set the loss in revenue on account of additional expenditure on purchase by reducing transmission and distribution losses from the present 24 per cent, besides improving efficiency
parameters, including installation of electronic meters, disconnecting unauthorised consumers, checking pilferage and making provision for boundary metering.
To assess the agriculture consumption correctly, all farm connections are being provided with electro-mechanical meters. The voluntary disclosure scheme for higher withdrawal than sanctioned load has been extended till January 31 next year, besides reducing the regularisation charges to Rs 1200 from Rs 3200 per BHP. Similarly, the extra load requirement regularisation has been modified.
The board is also releasing 40,000 tubewell connections this year.
