Assam electricity board moves Centre for more power

Faced by a severe power crunch due to the acute heat and no rains, the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) has approached the Centre for power from the national grid to ease the crisis.     

"The board through the state power department has approached the Central government to allot additional power from the power grid or from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) to help ease the severe crisis," A K Sachan, ASEB chairman, told reporters today.     

"We have also approached them to purchase power from certain captive power plants from Western states, including Rajasthan", the chairman added.     

Admitting that unusual hot and dry condition has badly affected power generation of the hydro-power projects in the region, Sachan said the situation had worsened due to drastic reduction of inflows in the rivers.     

The generation of Ranganadi hydro project has been 193 million units during March and May 2009 as compared to 282 million units during the same period last year, he said.     

With the situation further worsening this month, he said, only three million units per day was generated as against seven million units in the same period last year.