The Hindu : Other States / Uttar Pradesh News : State seeks help to tide over power woes

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Thursday, May 19, 2005

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Other States - Uttar Pradesh

State seeks help to tide over power woes

Eyeing Uttaranchal, West Bengal and Orissa for extra energy

LUCKNOW: Unable to tide over the power crisis by buying electricity from Centre, Uttar Pradesh has now set its sight on Uttaranchal, West Bengal and Orissa to provide it with extra energy to overcome the difficult period.

Official sources here said the State was currently shelling out a monthly amount of Rs. 550 crore (Rs. 18 crore daily) for buying electricity from Centre to meet its requirements.

The State required at least 170 million units of electricity daily to maintain the balance of power in its landscape. Despite buying 80 million units of electricity from the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) and arranging as much as 60 million units from its internal sources, there was a gap of 30 million units between daily demand and supply, the sources said.

The State was already buying 20 million units more than its purchase last year, resulting in an extra expenditure of Rs. 6 crore.

The State Government is contemplating at striking a deal with the three states to provide it at least 500 mega watt power to bridge down the gap that was likely to grow further with the rise in mercury.

At present, excepting Capital Lucknow, the Chief Minister's home district Etawah and tourist hotspot Agra all other districts in the State were witnessing compulsory power roastering up to ten hours daily. Sources however claimed that no roastering will be done in future in any of the districts.

Taking a dig at the failure of the U.P. government to solve the electricity crisis, president of Engineers Union of U.P. Power Corporation Shailendra Dubey said buying electricity from Centre and other States will only offer a stopgap remedy to the problem.

The only solution to the power crisis was reducing the transmission and distribution losses and increasing the revenue realisation.

The Power Corporation was already suffering from a financial crunch due to declining revenue and growing import of power, he said, adding that any further attempt to import power from the three States will see the apex power body in red within three months.

Besides with the rise in heat, the other States as well as the Centre will find it difficult to spare extra energy for U.P. after meeting their own obligations, Mr Dubey said.

"A government that cannot stop the wastage of energy in public parks, street lights and other public places can only take recourse to privatising power set up or cry for help to other States," he maintained.

"We need to become self-dependent," he said and added the best beginning in this regard could be made by stopping the wastage of electricity and reducing transmission and distribution losses through check on power thefts. -- UNI

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State seeks help to tide over power woes