Shimla, June 25
The power crisis in North India has been aggravated further with the suspension of generation in two major hydel projects in the state.

While the 1500 MW Nathpa Jhakri project was again closed down from 10 a.m. as the level of silt in the Sutlej crossed 8,000 ppm (parts per million), the 300 MW Chamera project has been shut down for 24 hours to protect the turbines from being damaged by excessive silt. The discharge of the river also crossed 1,400 cumecs as the rising mercury has hastened the melting of glaciers. The Nathpa Jhakri project has been closed down for the second time within three days.

Maintaining that it was a normal phenomenon, Mr S.S. Parmar, Chief Secretary, said the administration of Kinnaur and Lahaul-Spiti had been asked to keep a watch on the level of the Sutlej on the 200-km stretch from Sumdoh to Rampur. He clarified that the rise in the water level had nothing to do with the Parchu lake.

The frequency in the northern grid plunged to below 49 as the availability of power came down by about 2000 MW. Various states were forced to overdraw from the grid.