No power cut during summer evenings in Odisha: Official

People in Odisha will not face load shedding during the peak evening hours this summer as the state has enough power to meet the demand, an official said on Monday.

Energy secretary Suresh Chandra Mohapatra said the while the state was getting thermal power from various sources, water level in reservoirs of various hydroelectricity projects was still "in good condition".

"We hope that the water reserved in various reservoirs can help producing electricity till July 30 and if there is no good amount of rainfall till that time, then only a problem arises," Mohapatra said.

Mohapatra, however, hinted at power cuts during the day time in certain areas for equal distribution of electricity to consumers.

An official from Gridco, the bulk power supplier to Odisha, said the state was in a position to meet its power demand up to 4,000 MW as against the current peak demand of 3,850 MW.

The average power demand of Odisha was about 3,200 MW, the official said.

The state can produce around 1,600-1,700 MW and 2,000-2,300 MW of electricity from hydroelectricity and thermal power projects, respectively, he said.

While Odisha was getting about 1,000 MW from the central pool to meet the requirement of consumers, the Talcher Thermal Power Station (TTPS) and state-run Odisha Power Generation Corporation were generating more than 800 MW.

Sesa Sterlite's Jharsuguda thermal power plant was supplying more than 500 MW, said the official.

Besides, GMR Energy's Kamalanga plant in Dhenkanal district was providing about 200 MW to the state. Gridco is also purchasing about 200 MW from other independent power projects and captive generating plants operating in the state.