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Delhi Govt. asked to file report on power crisis

J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court has asked the Delhi Government to file a status report in three weeks on the steps taken by it to solve the power crisis in the Capital.

Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, heading a three-judge Bench, told Delhi Government counsel Ashok Bhan, “You have given data for 2009 and 2010 but you have not talked about today’s situation. File a status report.”

Earlier, senior counsel and amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar told the Bench, which included Justice Dalveer Bhandari and Justice H.S. Bedi, that the affidavit filed by the Delhi Government had not addressed the issue of possibility of alternative source of power generation. “The affidavit only talks about future, i.e., 2010, when there is a shortfall of over 1000 MW of power this year. There is nothing about 2008.”

He said Delhi was facing a severe power crisis with power cuts for several hours a day and that the Government should buy power to meet the shortfall of 500 MW.

Mr. Bhan said power shortage was a national crisis and it had to be handled step by step. When the Chief Justice asked counsel “is the statement of Mr. Ranjit Kumar correct?”, Mr. Bhan said, “It is true. I will file a status report on the distribution and supply.”

The Bench was hearing a petition filed in 1999 complaining about the acute power crisis in the Capital. Mr. Ranjit Kumar told the Court about inadequate steps taken by the Delhi Government to improve power supply.

The Delhi Government in its affidavit conceded that the power crisis would continue till the Commonwealth Games. It said out of a total installed capacity of 1,700 MW only 1,300 MW was being generated. The generation could not be increased to keep pace with the demand due to various constraints such as environmental considerations and non-availability of any fuel such as coal and gas in Delhi’s vicinity, it added.

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