After realising the fact that power generation in the State run hydro power projects is completely insufficient to meet with the demand of electricity in the State, Uttarakhand Power Corporation limited has made an agreement for procuring power from the private electricity generators till the end of current financial year.
Department officials lamented that the power generation has plunged from 14 million units to seven or eight million units of electricity per day thus forcing the department for procuring electricity to meet with the demand of electricity in the State.
Unable to meet with the demand of electricity in the State, UPCl has been continuously procuring electricity to meet with the demand of electricity in the State. Since power generation has come to halt at Kalagarh, Khatima, Mohammadpur, Pathri and Dharasu hydro power projects, the power generation is hovering around seven or eight million units.
Unable to cope up with the demand of electricity in the State, the department has implemented load shedding till 4 pm in Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar districts of Uttarakhand whereas small towns of Garhwal division except Vikas Nagar, Kotdwar and Doiwala faced the power outage for nearly three hours and small towns of Kumaon division went without power for nearly three hours.
The department will receive six million units and two million units of electricity through tenders to meet with the demand of electricity on Thursday. It is also noteworthy that the Corporation had procured 200 megawatt of electricity in the last month and likely to procure 245 megawatt of electricity in the current month.
Sources confirmed that UPCl will procure 350 megawatt and 450 megawatt of electricity in December and January, next year respectively. The power procurement will also continue in the month of February and March and department will procure 300 megawatt and 275 megawatt of electricity respectively.
In an exclusive interaction with The Pioneer, SS Yadav, Managing Director, UPCl said that couple of companies has concurred for selling electricity to Uttarakhand during its lean time in order to meet with the demand of electricity in the State.
He said that department has been focusing to procure electricity at much lower prices in order to avoid any financial loss to the corporation. Yadav also assured that no part of the State would unnecessarily face the brunt of power outage except during testing of lines or removing technical snags for ensuring the disruption free electricity to consumers.