Ruling out any undeclared power cuts in the State after the Government’s order to this effect, Principal Secretary of Energy Pradeep Kumar Jena on Wednesday said that there have been instances of power tripping in some parts of the State and the Government is planning for a long-term solution to put a full stop to the power tripping and low voltage problem particularly during the summer season.
Notably, the Government recently ordered for uninterrupted power supply to all electrified villages and households, only to be rendered ineffective as most parts of the State, including the capital city, have been experiencing frequent and undeclared power trips. According to reports, besides Bhubaneswar, there has been prolonged power tripping in Puri, Nuapada and Boudh districts.
Addressing mediapersons after participating in a two-day workshop on the management of 2013 cyclonic storm Phailin, Jena said, “People are alleging that there have been power cuts in their areas, but it was power tripping and it happens in summer season due to power overload.”
“If it was a power cut, we would have first announced it. Due to intense heat, usage of ACs, air coolers and other electronic instruments has increased, thereby overloading the sub-stations and transformers causing power tripping,” he explained.
In some places due to high temperatures, conductors have melted and snapped which may be another cause of power failure, Jena said, adding that to overcome the problems, the Government is planning a long-term solution.
The departmental sources said the Government is planning implementation of different programmes and installation of modern technology equipments in the power sector including by setting up new grid stations, implementation of smart grid technology and replacement of old equipments and wire lines.
Asked about any shortage of power production in the State, Jena said there is enough water in the reservoirs for generation of hydropower. Due to better water management during 2013-14, the State generated 20 per cent more power than demanded and in the last monsoon most of the reservoirs generating power have enough water. Against the daily requirement of 3,200 MW to 3,800 MW, the Energy Department is ready to provide around 4,200 MW of power. If required more power would also be procured from the thermal sector to meet the demand, he added.