UP facing power crisis

With closure of one more unit of Anpara thermal power project due to technical fault, power crisis has deepened in Uttar Pradesh.
Generator transformer of unit number four of Anpara project having capacity of 500 mega watt developed snag yesterday after which it stopped power generation, UP Rajya Vidyut Utpadan Nigam Limited Chairman and Managing Director Kamran Rizvi told PTI.
He said transformer of 500 MW five number unit of the same plant developed snag on July 9 and was being repaired by Bharat Heavy Electrical Limited at Bhopal.
Rizvi said that it takes at least one month to get a generation transformer repaired.

The transformer which developed snag on July 9 is to become operational by August 14.
Due to closure of units, power generation has been reduced to 1600 MW as against 2500 to 3000 MW in normal days, sources said.

While the power demand has shot to 13,000 MW due to sultry weather, supply has been limited to 10,000 MW, thus leaving a gap of nearly 3,000 MW.
Rostering is being undertaken across the state, including VIP areas, to balance supply availability.
The CMD said arrangements were being made to tackle the situation and that the government would take 300 MW power from Jammu, Himachal Pradesh and Sikkim under "banking power quota".

Besides, an additional 500 MW power was being purchased from energy exchange, he said adding this is being made available from today itself.
Meanwhile, All India Power Engineers Federation has raised questions over the government's claim of arranging additional power.
It's chairman Shailendra Dubey said as of now additional power was not available in any of the state in the country.
He termed the two incidents of snag in transformers as laxity on the part of the plant management and said the government's claim of being able to provide 24 hour power supply by 2016 was "hollow.