Power cuts, Gurugram's ancillary units on brink

Sumedha Sharma

Gurugram, May 1

Struggling with power cuts for almost 15 days now, over 100 ancillary units have threatened to shut down operations, citing inability to bear the cost of diesel generators (DG sets). The units, which claim to be facing power cuts for as long as 12 hours, have sought Power Minister Ranjit Singh’s intervention into the matter.

DG sets unviable

On average, there is a power cut for around 11 hours daily. Running DG sets for such a long duration is unviable as it costs around Rs 20 per unit. Mahender Yadav, industrialist

“On an average, there is a power cut for around 11 hours. We are small units and serve big auto industries. We have been somehow managing the affairs so far, but can’t sustain the increased cost of production due to the use of DG sets any longer,” said Mahender Yadav, owner of a piston manufacturing unit.

According to industrialists, a single unit of power, on an average, costs around Rs 8, but with the use of DG sets, it inflates to almost Rs 20 per unit. Things are worse for those who have to take these DG sets on rent as the rentals have gone up to around Rs 5,000 per day as compared to Rs 1,500-2,000 earlier. They said, according to the authorities, the power situation would improve by May 15.

“We are struggling to carry on. I make special thread for garment units in Udyog Vihar. I have shut down operations for the time being,” said Maya Ahuja, a small unit operator.

The rising cost of production in small units has led to price disputes as bigger units are seeking material on rates agreed to in the contract while smaller units say it’s not feasible for them.

The Gurugram Industrial Association, which has been in touch with the government, besides highlighting woes of these small units, has demanded special power supply for over 50 continuous process industries and waiver of fixed charges. These industries include malt industry, milk processing, and chemicals and fertilisers units.

“These industries require machines to run non-stop for almost a week and any disruption in power supply corrupts the lot. The unscheduled power cuts are costing them dearly. The authorities should ensure uninterrupted power supply to these industries,” said JN Mangla, president, Gurgaon Industrial Association.

He said while the entire industry was facing an eight-hour scheduled cut, these industries were facing power cuts for additional three to four hours.

“Even the IT industry, which operates at night and serves foreign clients, is also facing major issues. Power disruption is leading to connection losses,” he added.