Bhubaneswar 
Minister expects power crisis to subside
within three days
SATURDAY, 19 MAY 2012
23:54
PNS | BHUBANESWAR
HITS: 18
·
·
·
Energy Minister Atanu Sabyasachi on Saturday exuded confidence
that power crisis in the State would be over within three days with the
cooperation of industrial houses having captive power plants as the State
continued to reel under unprecedented heatwave conditions coupled with power
shortage.
Talking to mediapersons here after a
high-level meeting at the State secretariat on ways to tide over the crisis,
Sabyasachi said he had sought cooperation of the private industries having
captive generating units to provide surplus power to the State during the
present crisis period by expanding their apacity utilisation. The companies who
attended the meeting agreed to his proposal, Sabyasachi said.
He said the meeting was attended by,
among others, senior officials of the Energy Department, Odisha Hydro-Power
Corporation, GRIDCI and representatives of Jindal Steel and Power
Limited, Sterlite and Nava Bharat.
As per the decision, Sterlite would
supply 250 mw of power against its capacity of 600 mw within next three days.
The company would start supplying power to GRIDCO from Sunday with initial 100
mw followed by subsequent additional 150 mw within the next three days.
Sterelite had stopped the supply of
350 mw of power to the State for the last three days following serious snag in
its units. However, the company had started production by undertaking repair
and renovation work on war footing.
Similarly, JSPL, he said, promised to
supply additional 70 mw of power in the next two days in addition to the
present wheeling of 190 mw to Gridco. Besides, Nav Bharat assured to provide 64
mw of power in addition to its present supply of 90 mw. Admitting that there
has been a shortfall of 500 mw of power during the peak hour, Sabyasachi
asserted that the power crisis would be sorted out with the availability of
around 400 mw.
He said the power generation from the
hydro power stations in the State reduced this season with falling of water
level in the reservoirs. At present around 200 to 250 mw of power was being
produced in the hydel stations. However, the State Government has taken up with
neighbouring AP and Chhattisgarh the question of increasing water levels in the
reservoirs. Besides, he also said the State Government has urged the Andhra
Government to increase the share of power being produced in the inter-State
Machhkund Hydro Power Station.
The Energy Minister said he had asked
the distribution companies to limit the period of power cut to the minimum and
to ensure sustained power supply to the drinking water supply projects in view
of the continuing heat-wave conditions.
