Prolonged power outages leads to resentment in Uttarkashi

Strong resentment prevails among people of Uttarkashi over prolonged and unscheduled power rostering being carried out in the district by Uttarakhand Hydro-Electricity Corporation.
About 100 villages in the district have to bear with power outages lasting for several hours anytime during day due to unscheduled rostering by the corporation, Zila Panchayat vice president Prakash Chand Ramola said.
"People in the district are sick of the prolonged power cuts with examinations of their children round the corner.
There is no schedule for daily power cuts. Lights may go out any time for hours on end," he said adding that people are in a mood to launch a stir if the situation does not improve soon.

Under production by Dharasu and Tiloth power houses which feed Chinyalisaur power sub-station that caters to the power needs of Uttarkashi appears to be at the root of the problem, he said.
Power consumption in areas falling under Chinyalisaur sub-station stands at 7-8 million units per day whereas power received by it is much less than its requirements, he said.

Uttarakhand Hydro-Electricity Corporation Executive Engineer Rajiv Kumar said the 304 megawatt Dharasu power house produces only 82 mw of power while the 90 mw Tiloth power house produces less than 30 mw of power.
Under production at these power houses which cater to the power requirements of people of the area is what has forced us to resort to rostering, Kumar said.

Chinyalisaur power sub-station whose daily consumption stands at 25000 units per day receives much less hydro-electricity from these two power houses than required, hence the prolonged outages at odd hours, he explained.
Asked whether power rostering in the district cannot be scheduled so that people are prepared to face it and make alternative arrangements, the official said nothing much can be done about it as as they are at the beck and call of the corporation headquarters in Dehradun.
In case of rostering they receive a code from the state capital and there can be no set timing for that, he said.