In order to address the grievances of the locals, a sharp decline of about 50 per cent only during a span of one month, citizens may face a tough winter ahead in Uttarakhand.
Whereas the Himalayan State was generating onan average 16 million unit (mu) of electricity per day from its hydro-based power generation system during the previous month of October, the electricity generation has sharply come down to around 8 mu per day presently, according to the figures provided by the Uttarakhand Power Corporationlimited (UPCl).
It is worth mention here that with getting about 8 mu of power per day from indigenous sources, about 11 mu of power per day from central sector and rest about 10 mu of power from other sources, presently the gross availability of power in Uttarakhand is hovering around about 29 mu per day against a gross demand of electricity ofaround 30 mu per day, as the figures provided by the UPCl indicate.
Although there is little gap between demand and supply of electricity presently in Uttarakhand, yet the major cause of concern is that asthe experts in power sectors maintain, the power situation may worsen during peak winter season ahead. Apart from increasing demand for power, decreasing water level of rivers engaged for power generation resulting in further decline in electricity generation from the indigenous power generation system, is the major factor behind poor power situation during peak winter hours as has been experienced in the past, the experts further add. It is worth mention here that keeping in view power crisis during winter season ahead, the UPCl has also made some arrangements forabout 4.8 million unit (mu) of power per day for six months i.e. from October 1, 2013 to March 31, 2014 as the officials concerned informed.
However, despite the additional arrangements of electricity, people continue to face a tough time particularly in rural and remote areas across the State. The matter of concern is that power cuts for three to four hours daily have become a routine affairs for people living in rural areas of Haridwar and Udham Singh Nagar, as the figures provided by the UPCl reflect. More so, local faults and delay in rectifying these faults only worsen the power situation in far and rural areas across the State.