War Rooms set up at Nagpur and Wardha to keep an eye power consumption and take on-spot decisions
Nagpur: In a good news to tormented Nagpurians, the Maharashtra’s Energy Department has secured a lifeline as it got 800 MW additional power on Thursday enabling it to drop plans for load-shedding during the peak morning hours, according media reports.
The reports said that War Rooms have been opened at Nagpur and Wardha by Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) to keep watch on power consumption and take on-spot decisions. The War Room is headed by an officer of the rank of Superintendent Engineer. Additional 700 to 800 MW of power was sourced by MSEDCL helping it tide over the severe shortage that forced it to think about starting rotational load-shedding. The addition of a new source enabled it to efficiently manage the morning peak time from 7.30 am to 10 am.
In a further respite for MSEDCL, 550 MW of additional power would be supplied from National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Mouda plant from Friday onwards. MSEDCL has already tied up with Tata’s Mundra plant for 750 MW of additional power to help it tide over the peak summer season. The daily addition of power is enabling MSEDCL to meet the gap of 2,500 MW in the demand-supply position thereby providing respite to masses from prickly heat by avoiding load-shedding.
The power demand is heading upward due to severe heat and reached 22,500 MW on Thursday, but MSEDCL effectively managed the show without any need for load shedding. Also, on April 14, several programmes were organised throughout the State to mark the 131st birth anniversary of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar and the State-run power utility ensured that no interruption occurred in the festivities.
After many years, Maharashtra was staring at compulsory power cuts as demand was higher than supply, pegging the shortages at over 2,500 MW. The “load shedding”, which entails compulsory power cuts in select areas, was to be carried out both in urban and rural areas. The growing demand for power and shortages of coal had resulted in a deficit of 2,500-3,000 MW in power. To bridge the same, MSEDCL was resorting to load shedding as per the guidelines set by Maharashtra Electricity Regulatory Commission.
