Get ready for more power cuts, as the State power utility — Punjab State Power Corporation limited (PSPCl) — has decided to go for load shedding.
The PSPCl, known as Powercom, has claimed that it has been “constrained” to take this decision owing to “rise in temperature and poor monsoon combined with less availability of power from the new private thermal plants and lesser hydel generation”.
“Due to sudden increase in demand for power owing to rise in temperature and poor monsoon combined with less availability of power from the new private thermal plants and lesser hydel generation, PSPCl is constrained to go for load shedding,” said PSPCl chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) KD Chaudhri on Thursday.
“Rajpura Thermal Plant which had commissioned two units of 700 MW each is only supplying 500 MW and Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant which was earlier supplying 660MW of power has stopped its generation due to shortage of coal. This has reduced availability of 1560MW of power from independent power producers (IPPs),” said Chaudhri.
Claiming that PSPCl’s preparations were adequate in anticipation of poor monsoon, he said that reduced power supply from and lesser hydel generation has widened the gap in demand and supply forcing PSPCl to impose temporary regulatory measures on all category of consumers.
In view of precarious situation, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Badal held meeting with Union railways Minister Sadananda Gowda who assured to get coal supply expedited for Thermal Plants in Punjab.
Chaudhri hoped that situation is likely to improve in four to five days when coal supplies start reaching independent power plants in Punjab.
He appealed to people of Punjab to bear the regulatory measures imposed by PSPCl in view of sudden spurt in demand of power due to paddy transplantation, rise in temperature and poor monsoon.