The government on Wednesday said it has drawn up contingency plans to meet any eventuality in case deficient monsoon hits hydro power output as there are “adequate stocks” of coal to fuel power plants.
The Met department has revised downwards its projection of monsoon this year to “deficient” from “below normal”, which is likely to spark drought fears.
“It’s a matter of concern that the monsoon is expected to be below normal, deficient. We are conscious that this will result in a fall in hydropower production and the demand will also increase... The Ministry of Power and the Ministry of Coal are seized of the situation,” Power and Coal Minister Piyush Goyal told reporters on the sidelines of an award ceremony in New Delhi.
“We have been planning as a contingency measure for any eventuality and therefore, in the last two months, coal production by Coal India went up 11.8 per cent,” the minister said.
The minister tried to allay concerns, saying adequate coal is available at every thermal plant in the country.
“Today, we have stocks which can run these power plants for almost 20-22 days continously...,” the minister said, adding that the buffer stock has been built up.
“Power plants are ready to produce more. They have sufficient capacity in the system. Sufficient contingency plans have been drawn up,” the minister said.
He gave an assurance that the government will make sure there is no power shortage in the country.
“I would only appeal to the state government to procure more coal so that their power plants do not shut down,” he added.
He further said that if required, NTPC will produce and supply more power.
The monsoon forecast has been revised to 88 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) from the earlier 93 per cent, with North-West India likely to be hit the most, Minister for Earth Sciences Harsh Vardhan had told reporters on Tuesday.
