State to reel under loadshedding

With thermal power stations in the State developing technical snags, thus pushing the power shortage to 1,000 megawatts (mw), the State Energy department has now resorted to unscheduled loadshedding to manage the grid. Interestingly, the move comes just two days after Energy Minister D K Shivakumar and the energy department made tall claims that the State has surplus power and would thus be free from loadshedding this summer. At this crucial juncture, the energy minister is learnt to be on a tour to Vaishnodevi. Sources in the power sector, on condition of anonymity, said that both the units at Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) have stopped generation, while one unit at Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) has stopped functioning since Wednesday. The two units of BTPS together contribute about 1,000 mw of power. It may be recalled that the State government on April 28, following a petition before the High Court, had submitted that it has surplus power of 800-1,500 mw after wind power generators increased their contribution to the grid. To support this premise, Shivakumar too had assured there would be no loadshedding this time. Temporary solution According to officials, the loadshedding will be a temporary solution as the thermal plants are expected to return to normal function soon. "We had one unit of RTPS resuming its functioning. We received about 250 mw of power, leaving us short of 750 mw. We are yet to reach the full blast, but it may happen within the next 24 hours,” said an official source. 'We will manage’ However, with the weather getting cooler and decrease in the consumption of electricity, the power sector feels there would not be any crisis until thermal stations resume generation. "With holidays, the consumption has also come down. Moreover, unit two at BTPS will be resuming generation too. We will not find it difficult to manage,” Pankaj Kumar Pandey, managing director, Bangalore Electricity Supply Company told Deccan Herald.   DHNS