Yogindra Mohan
Patiala
The power shortage in Punjab is more than 300 lakh units daily and power cuts ranges between six to eight hours a day. The closure of one unit at the Ropar thermal plant has further aggravated the situation.

The power demand in the state is more than 10,000 MW and power shortage is more than 2100 MW. The dip in hydro power availability due to poor monsoon is 65 lakh units as compared to last year. Punjab is getting more than 40 lakh units less from the Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) as reservoir level in Bhakra and Pong are 65 feet below last year level on the same day. Even Ranjit Sagar is supplying 24 lakh units lesser as compared to last year as water level is 499.14 metre against last year’s level of 509.22 metres.

The Unit I at Ropar was closed due to LP turbine problem. Earlier Unit III was down due to boiler leakage which was revived on Friday. According to sources Unit I may be revived later tonight. The daily power demand is over 2,100 lakh units whereas supply is about 1,800 lakh units. The delay in the commissioning of new thermal units by private companies has white washed the hopes of a power surplus state.

Punjab is banking heavily on power purchase to bridge the gap between demand and supply. The daily power purchase from all sources is 1,000 lakh units. The short term power purchases are also more than 525 lakh units.

A senior Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) engineer said that had the government spent even half the amount of power purchase on adding capacity addition in the state sector the power scene would have been different. Four years back the picture looked rosy on papers but in practice all types of excuses by private sector companies give no relief to consumers.

In the adjoining Haryana power position is more acute where three thermal units of Chinese design equipment are out of gear for a long time. There is coal problem with recently commissioned Jhajjar units. The daily power cuts range from eight to ten hours in cities as shortage touched 300 lakh units daily.

Negative growth rate in hydro generation
PATIALA: Due to less inflow and delayed monsoon, the generation from hydro power stations had a negative growth rate of 5.47 per cent and 18.85 per cent during June and April-June this year respectively as compared to same periods last year.
The water level in Bhakra reservoir is 1,551.63 feet which is 62 feet below the last year level of 1,612.28 feet. Similarly, Pong reservoir level is 1,291.86 feet against water level of 1,335.35 feet on the corresponding day last year. The water level in Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoir is also down by more than 7 meters.
The impact of low water levels is also being felt on generation front. Punjab is getting reduced power this year by 40 lakh units. The prediction that the monsoon is below normal is a major cause of worry for partner states. The scanty rains in the catchment areas of reservoirs are not good news for Bhakra Beas Management Board. The BBMB generation is 389 lakh units which includes 178 lakh units from Bhakra and canal power houses, 59 lakh units from pong power house. Last year BBMB achieved its generation targets easily with 11 months.
The storage position of the 31 major reservoirs in the country is regularly monitored in the Central Electricity Authority. These reservoirs feed hydroelectric stations having total installed generating capacity of 18,273 MW which constitute about 46 per cent of the hydro capacity in the country. The total energy content of 31 reservoirs as on June 30 this year was 9.77 billion units (BU) as compared to 2.94 billion units last year. Thus the percentage variation in energy content on June 30 with respect to same day last year was 25 per cent.
The energy generation from the hydroelectric stations during the June has also negative growth rate of 5.47 per cent over the same month last year due to less inflows. During the period April 2012 to June 2012, the cumulative hydro generation has negative growth rate of 8.85 per cent over the same period last year due to less inflows.DP