Telangana's wait for drawal of Chhattisgarh power is getting longer with disruption in the experimental transmission on the Wardha-Dichpally (Nizamabad) 765 KV double circuit line of the Power Grid Corporation for the last 12 days following damage to a few transmission towers in Maharashtra and Telangana due to strong winds earlier this month.
Official sources said that two towers in Maharashtra and one tower in Telangana were damaged on April 7 due to strong winds and the supply of power to the Power Grid sub-station at Dichpally, from where the Telangana utilities have been drawing power on experimental basis, from the Marwa thermal power project in Janjgir district of Chhattisgarh was stopped.
TS power utilities have utilised about 150 million units (MU) of Chhattisgarh power between March 31 and April 7 during the experimental transmission, before it was halted due to damaged towers. “On an average, Chhattisgarh unit has supplemented about 15 MU to 20MU energy every day during the eight days of experimental supply and it helped us meet the summer demand in the State which has ranged between 180 MU and 195 MU every day,” Telangana energy department officials stated. The overall energy demand in the State has come down to below 180MU after April 10 and it has been ranging around 170 MU after April 15 since the demand from agriculture sector is gradually coming down with the paddy crop, reaching the harvesting stage, the officials said adding that the cushion provided by Chhattisgarh power is not being felt. Sources said that it could take about a week's time more for restoration of the damaged towers before a decision is taken by the Power Grid to resume experimental transmission of Chhattisgarh power to TS through Wardha-Dichpally line. When contacted, Power Grid officials were non-committal.
Supply of Chhattisgarh power on Wardha-Dichpally line:
