Coal shortage deepens power crisis in Punjab, generation drops by 1,500 MW: Minister Coal shortage deepens power crisis in Punjab, generation drops by 1,500 MW: Minister

 

Coal shortage deepens power crisis in Punjab, generation drops by 1,500 MW: Minister

Coal shortage deepens power crisis in Punjab, generation drops by 1,500 MW: Minister

Chandigarh, Punjab Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Saturday said a severe national coal shortage has deepened the power crisis in Punjab, with power generation in the state falling by 1,500 MW and major thermal plants being forced to operate at reduced capacity.

He said the coal shortage has affected 63 GW of power supply across the country, while reduced coal supply from the Centre has hit the Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal plants, further impacting Punjab's power system, according to a statement.

The Power Minister demanded that the central government immediately take concrete steps to address the coal shortage and ensure uninterrupted power supply to the people and industries.

In a video message, Sond said, "Due to the severe coal shortage in the country, power generation in Punjab has declined by around 1,500 MW. For the past two to three days, the state has been facing a shortage of electricity, due to which power cuts are being imposed in the domestic and industrial sectors out of compulsion."

The biggest reason behind the present power crisis is the "severe" shortage of coal across the country.

"The problem is not limited to Punjab, as around 63 GW of power supply across the country has been affected due to the coal shortage," he added.

Sond pointed out that several thermal power plants across the country have only three to four days of coal stock remaining and are consequently being forced to operate at around half their capacity.

"The private thermal power plants in Punjab are also facing a similar situation, with power generation taking place at around half their capacity due to the shortage of coal," he added.

On the other hand, he said that thermal plants to which coal is supplied by the Punjab government still have around 10 days of coal stock available due to the efforts made by the state government.

Sond mentioned the Nabha Power Limited thermal plant in Rajpura and the Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant in Mansa, to which coal is supplied by the central government.

"The Centre has not been able to ensure full supply of coal. These two major thermal plants are currently being forced to operate at around half their capacity, which has further aggravated the power shortage and impacted Punjab's power system," he added.

"This is a very serious issue which is affecting the entire country. The central government should break its silence on this matter and clearly inform the people of the country as to how long it will take to overcome this shortage of coal, so that uninterrupted power supply can be provided to the general public and industries," said Sond.