Mumbaikars urged to conserve energy, escape power cuts

RPC, REL call to save 200 Mw through conservation methods.

We are buying around 300-350 Mw of expensive power to ensure that Mumbai didn?t face power cuts but it is a touch and go situation unless Mumbaikars resolve to adopt energy conservation techniques, said Tata Power Company's (TPC) Managing Director Prasad Menon.

Menon and Reliance Energy Limited's (REL) Executive Director Lalit Jalan were speaking to reporters after attending the meeting called by Maharashtra Energy Minister Dileep Walse-Patil to review the measures taken to save the city from load shedding.

He further said, we have managed to source power from states like Kerala, Arunachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and others to meet Mumbai's demand.

But as temperatures soar during May and June, the demand will go up in other parts of country too and there won't be enough power available. In such a scenario unless we save 200 Mw power through energy conservation methods, one can't rule out the possibility of power cuts in city.

The issue of Mumbai having to face power cuts started gathering momentum in the last week of March when TPC started overdrawing power from the state grid to ensure that Mumbai got uninterrupted power supply.

Then the state government give a 72-hour ultimatum to the TPC and REL to find alternate sources of power for Mumbai and the ultimatum was later further extended till today.

The state government made it clear to both the companies that it is not possible for the government to allow overdrawing of power from the state grid when state itself was facing power shortage to the tune of 5,000 Mw and rural areas were under darkness for 14-15 hours.

The installed generation capacity of TPC and REL is around 2,300 Mw but the city's demand is around 2,700 Mw. During weekends we didn't have to overdraw power but today we are required to overdraw around 50 Mw to 60 Mw of power, said Menon while replying to question.

Besides appealing to Mumbaikars to adopt energy conservation, we have requested the state government to explore the possibility of staggered off days in Mumbai, including the government offices, to relieve some of the pressure on the system, said Menon.