Punjab Newsline
No generation at Khedar and Jhajjar thermal stations due to Jat agitation

Vinod Kumar Gupta
Thursday, 24 March 2011
HISSAR: Haryana Power Generation Company’s Khedar thermal plant of and NTPC’s Jhajjar thermal plant have not been able to generate power due to non receipt of coal following “rail roko’ agitation of Jat community in support of their demand for reservation.

2 units of 600 MW each at Khedar thermal plant capable of producing 288 lakh units daily are shut down for the last 15 days as there was no coal stock to start the plant. Unit 2 was closed on March 9 followed by closure of unit 1 next day.

The position may improve following Punjab & Haryana High Court’s order to clear the rail track immediately. Supreme Court has also asked the concerned states to act immediately. This may facilitate the railway trains movement.

Even earlier the coal stock reported at CEA website for Khedar plant was nil and plant was running on the basis of daily receipt of coal. Every thermal plant is required to keep a coal stock of minimum 21 days but the thermal plants of Haryana were not maintaining this stock. The reason as per CEA site is non receipt of imported coal by HPGCL. The order for imported coal has been places only in January this year. The intensification of agitation by Jats in Haryana may also hamper coal supply to Panipat and Yamunanagar thermal plants of state.

NTPCs 500 MW unit 1 of Jhajjar thermal plant has also been closed last week for non receipt of coal.
HPGCL is generating 1458 MW out of its installed capacity of 3230MW. The state is over drawing 167 lakh units daily from northern grid to bridge the gap between demand and supply. Today 250 MW unit no. 7 of Panipat is under breakdown. The second 300 MW unit of Yamuna Nagar thermal is producing 171 MW. The power demand is 1136 lakh units against supply of 1083 lakh units.