While the Government declares more thermal power plants in and outside of Odisha, it has miserably failed to feed the nation's most prestigious and reliable 3,000-MW NTPC-Kaniha thermal power plant, resulting in zero coal stock and subsequent reduction of 500-MW power production.
This has severely affected power supply to Odisha besides 17 southern, eastern and north-eastern States at this peak hour.
The plant, which has been established near the MCl coalmines, reached the “Super Critical Condition” due to the acute shortage of coal.
The NTPC-Kaniha, the second-largest power plant in India, is continuing to be hit by short supply of coal.
Now, the plant is getting only 45 to 48 MT of coal daily against its requirement of 55 MT from both lingaraj and Kaniha mines of MCl. So, the NTPC is losing around 6 to 8 million units of power daily.
Due to continuous strike and allied reasons, the MCl is unable to supply the required coal.
Recently, Union Coal Minister Piyush Goyal, after taking a review of the coal stock at various power plants, had asked the Railways to increase coal loading to up to 500 rakes per day to meet the power demand in summer.
Even, officials of his Ministry are deputed to coal companies in order to ensure higher transportation of coal to the sidings and faster loading of rakes.
However, the situation has not changed and coal supplies have not improved, as a result of which some power plants including NTPC-Kaniha are facing acute coal shortage.
