Power crisis hits Punjab
Umesh Dewan
Tribune News Service

Patiala, March 19
With increase in power demand from the agriculture sector and lower water level in the Bhakra and Pong Dam reservoirs, there has been a sudden power crisis in Punjab. According to Punjab State Electricity Board officials, unscheduled power cuts are unavoidable because of the regulatory steps taken by the board for ensuring the security of the northern grid.

Due to increase in power demand, the PSEB has decided to impose additional weekly off days on general industrial consumers, additional two weekly offs on arc, induction furnace and rolling mill consumers fed from category-III feeders and additional nine-hour peak load restrictions on continuous process industry fed from category-IV feeders with immediate effect. This decision was taken at an emergency meeting of the board officials here this evening.

In the past couple of days, there has been spurt in the gap in demand and supply of power in the state. Figures available show that the board recorded a demand of 1,210 lakh units on March 18, which is 145 lakh units more than last year. Because of increase in the demand, the gap in demand and supply touched the figure of 218 lakh units, compared to 71 lakh units last year.

According to board officials, due to lower water level in the Bhakra reservoir (from 1573.37 feet in 2009 to 1528.18 feet this year) and the Pong Dam reservoir (from 1327.62 feet in 2009 to 1297.81 feet this year), Punjab’s share from these projects has gone down. Share from the Bhakra reservoir has decreased from 62.08 lakh units to 51.56 lakh units per day, whereas power generation from the Pong Dam has gone down from 14.47 lakh units to 2.19 lakh units per day. Besides, on account of lesser release of water, the power generation from the Mukerian Hydel Project has decreased from 48.33 lakh units to 8.05 lakh units a day.

Giving details of the meeting, board officials said it has been decided to take series of regulatory measures to meet the gap of demand and supply and to give minimum eight-hour supply to farm consumers on alternative days till March 31. The board has also appealed to the consumers to use power judiciously and not to use air-conditions till March 31.