Prolonged power cuts have crippled lives and hit industrial productions in Bokaro. Several DVC units failing to keep pace with the demand as coal crisis pertain with them, official sources said.
Continued power outages across the district are adversely affecting the industrial production, which may fall by 60 per cent, said Gaghender Kumar, a local industrialist. Most of the small and medium industrial units could not start production due to frequent tripping during past ten days.
According to an estimate a 24 hours power cut incurs a loss of approximately Rs 10 crore, and pushes back the progress by two months”, said Sambhu Kumar an industrialist at Bokaro Industrial Area Development Authority (BIADA). However when asked, Union Mine Minister Narendra Singh Tomar, who was in the State on Saturday, put the ball in the Chief Minister’s court. “I have discussed the issue with the State Mining Secretary but I think the CM should decide over it,” said Tomar in Ranchi.
Notably, several parts of the district are reeling from an acute power crisis since past ten-twelve days with Tenughat Vidyut Nigam limited (TVNl), Chandrapura Thermal Power Station (CTPS), Bokaro Thermal Power Station (BTPS) failed to produce power according to demand. There was a huge shortfall of power generation at DVC units, official sources said.
DVC purchases coal from Coal India for generation of about 6357 MW power. Now Rs 1.4 thousand crore is dues on DVC against the purchase of coal from Coal India while on the other hand Jharkhand Urja Vikash Nigam limited has pay around Rs 4,370 crore to DVC against the power supply, official said. “Now DVC is reeling under financial crunch and Coal India is opted cash and carry option, which does not allow coal supply on credit hits power production”, he added.
Meanwhile, situation may worsen further as DVC announced another 12 hours power cuts for maintenance of Tie-line on Sunday. “As tie-line failed to cope-up with heavy power transmissions, DVC has decided to replace the Dog conductors with Panther conductors on the transmission line,” said P N Prasad Assistant Engineer of the power company.