CESC has to look for power outside Bengal

CESC Ltd have to look for new power suppliers to service customers in its command areas of Kolkata and Howrah as existing West Bengal-government owned suppliers cannot meet its demand.

In other words, the state's power-surplus days are over "" the state is facing a shortfall of 400 megawatt (Mw) of power daily. It is looking at the possibility of drawing power from North Eastern Power Electric Power Co Ltd (Neepco) and Tripura and Assam based hydroelectric power plants.

The state government has asked Kolkata-based power utility CESC to draw less power from West Bengal State Electricity Board (WBSEB), facing a huge power deficit.

"The government has asked CESC to source power from sources other than WBSEB. The power department and WBSEB has initiated talks with companies in north-east India for power," Mrinal Banerjee, West Bengal power minister, said.

Damodar Valley Corporation, which generaly supply 200 Mw power from April, failed this year. Central government agencies also cut down supply by 300-800 Mw. Vidyut Vyapar Nigam had failed to supply its promised 100 Mw in full. This led to a shortfall of 350-400Mw per day. Evacuation problem at the Kolaghat plant has forced a cut-back in supply, from 1,200 Mw to 970Mw.

"This situation is likely to remain this way till March 2007 when new capacities will come up," said Banerjee.

The power shortage comes some months after CESC mothballed two of its antiquated power stations inside the greater Kolkata are as they were incapable of complying with pollution norms and were generating power at uneconomic rates.

Overall, most power stations in West Bengal were thermal plants and these were facing problems of inadequate coal supply for their boilers for some time now like other thermal power stations elsewhere in the country.