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Ministry unhappy over power scenario

By Lalit K. Jha

NEW DELHI APRIL 25. Though Delhi Transco might be claiming that it has made all necessary arrangements for the next few months, sources in the Union Power Ministry maintain that the Capital will face a 300- 400 MW shortfall during peak summer.

Sources in the Ministry say the Union Power Secretary, R. V. Shahi, held a review meeting with top officials of Delhi Transco, BSES and Tata Power earlier this week where Mr. Shahi expressed resentment over the summer preparations of the discoms, in particular the BSES which caters to the power requirements of two-thirds of the Capital including South, Central and East Delhi.

Sources say Mr. Shahi has been taking a special interest in the power situation in Delhi as the success of the discoms in the Capital is crucial to the Power Ministry's privatisation efforts elsewhere in India.

The meeting was informed that in April the Capital had surplus power with its peak demand a little over 2,600 MW. All this while, Delhi's own generation was around 500 MW. The Badarpur Thermal Power Station contributes 600 MW and as many as 1,600 MW comes from Northern Grid including 100 MW each from Uttar Pradesh and Uttranchal, 83 MW from Himachal Pradesh and 50 from Eastern Region. For a majority of days in April, Delhi Transco has been indulging in underdrawal of power, sometimes to the tune of nearly 300-500 MW. However, during the peak summer period this year the Capital would even by conservative estimates require 3,500 MW. Notably, the Delhi Transco and BSES have been stating that they require nearly 4,000 MW for providing quality and reliable power supply, for which the officials claim that adequate arrangements have been made.

For this summer the Capital's entitlement from the Northern Grid has been fixed at 1,550 MW, while 140 MW would come from the Eastern Region under a bilateral agreement and 50 MW from the yet to be commissioned Naphtha Jhakri power plant. Uttranchal and Uttar Pradesh would continue with their contribution of 100 MW each. At the same time Capital's own generation is expected to increase by 100 MW, while that of the Badarpur Thermal Power Station would remain at 600 MW.

All this brings the total availability of power to 3,240 MW which is still 760 MW short of peak projected demand of 4,000 MW by the Delhi Transco. To meet this huge shortfall, Delhi Transco has indicated that additional 80-440 MW of electricity would be made available to the Capital by Himachal Pradesh according to a bilateral agreement. Even if one considers that Himachal Pradesh would supply all 440 MW throughout peak summer, the shortfall would be 320 MW.

However, sources in the Ministry and the Power Grid said it was unlikely that Himachal Pradesh would provide 440 MW of power to the Capital. "No doubt Himachal Pradesh now has a Congress Government, but their top priority would be their own people and would supply power only in case they have surplus electricity.'' Even the bilateral agreement says that power would be supplied to Delhi, subject to availability of electricity in Himalayan State. Officials observed that they expected 200-220 MW from Himachal Pradesh during peak summer days.

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