Madhya Pradesh is staring at a power crisis of unprecedented nature with production dipping and demand increasing due to shortage of rainfall.
According to a top source in the energy department, the state does not have coal reserves for more than two days and the supply from Coal India is also not regular due to dip in production at their end.
Among the four thermal plants, the condition of the Birsinghpur Power Plant, which has a generation capacity of 1300 megawatts, is most critical. It is left with just one day of coal reserves.
The Sarni Power Plant is left with coal reserves of three days, while the Khandwa Power Plant has reserves of seven days. The situation at the Amarkantak Power Plant, which has a generation capacity of just 210 mega watts, is slightly better as it is left with coal reserves for 17 days.
“To meet the immediate need, Coal Minister Peeyush Goyal has for the moment obliged and issued the necessary instructions after Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan made an SOS call to him two days back, but the problem is that many states facing a similar problem have also raised similar demands and coal is being supplied only on a day to day basis. So, if there is a one day gap in the supply the situation could turn out to be really dire,” a top source, on condition of anonymity, said.
The demand in Madhya Pradesh has peaked at around 8000 megawatts per day due to farmers using pumps for irrigating as there are many areas which have not received rainfall.
The state would be left with no other option, but to buy power from other states if the coal supply is not increased.
The crisis is likely to further aggravate in the Rabi season as Madhya Pradesh has not been able to supply the 500 mega watts for which it has signed an agreement with Punjab.
“According to the agreement, Punjab returns this 500 mega watt power in the Rabi season, but this year this too shall not happen as we have not supplied them power when they need it,” an official of the energy department said.
