Two years of successive drought (in 1999-2000 and 2000-2001) had dealt a severe blow to the power sector in Gujarat and it has also lead to sudden spurt in agriculture demand from 12,221 million units in 1998-1999 to 15,467 million units in 2000-2001. This has further added to the miseries with sharp decline in hydro-generation from 1,346 million units to a meager 436 million units and reduction in the demand of power by high tension (HT) consumers from 6,988 million units to 6,001 million units.
Gujarat energy minister Kaushikbhai Patel said the state government had to spend Rs 230 crore for the purchase of power in 2000-2001 due to the fall in generation. The government had provided subsidies to the tune of Rs 2,014.19 crore in 2000-2001 against Rs 1,673.17 crore in 1998-99 and of Rs 1,329.87 crore in 1999-2000.
On an average, Gujarat supplied three-phase power to the farm sector for 16 hours in 1999-2000 and 11 hours in 2000-2001 against 6 hours in Madhya Pradesh, 9 hours in Andhra Pradesh, 4 hours in Punjab, 7 hours in J&K, 8 hours in Haryana, 7 hours in Rajasthan, 10 hours in UP, 14 hours in TN and Karnataka and 24 hours in Kerala.
More From This Section
The energy minister said that despite all nature made odds, on December 23, 2001, the state recorded an unprecedented plant load factor (PLF) of 85.12 per cent by generating 156.388 million units which itself was a record in the last four decades.
The year 1999-2000 registered a substantial increase in the plant load factor (PLF) with the Gujarat Electricity Board (GEB) power stations registering 67.85 per cent PLF in 2000-2001 against 64.33 per cent in 1999-2000 and saved a substantial amount of Rs 74.44 crore. Vanakbori power station recorded the highest PLF of 81.40 per cent, followed by Gandhinagar 67.82 per cent, Ukai 67.55 per cent, Sikka 60.65 per cent and Panandro 55.06 per cent.
During 2000-2001, power distribution losses for only urban feeders were estimated at 28.47 per cent against 31.79 per cent registered in 1999-2000. Thus Rs 62 crore could be saved in 2000-2001.
The government planned to raise an income of Rs 205 crore in the next six months, Rs 105 crore by reconciliation scheme and Rs 100 crore by way of increase in collection.
Gujarat purchased 19,470 million units of electricity valued at Rs 19,470 crore during 2000-2001 at an average of Rs 2.60 per unit to fill the gap between the demand and supply.
The energy minister said that the annual loss incurred by Gujarat Electricity Board was Rs 383.47 crore in 1998-99, shot up to Rs 2,312.35 crore in 2000-2001. Because since 1993 there has been no increase in the power tariff. Besides, irrespective of increase in the PLF from 63.5 per cent in 1998-99 to 67.85 per cent in 2000-2001, the state had purchased electricity worth Rs 5,064 crore in 2000-2001 against Rs 4,447 crore in 1999-2000 and Rs 3,038 crore in 1998-99. From April to December 2001, the state had purchased electricity worth Rs 3,191 crore from the central power sector and independent power projects.
The purchase of electricity at a high cost is attributed to the higher cost of the naphtha-based electricity. The per unit cost of the naphtha-based electricity which was Rs 1.81 on April 1, 1998, rose to Rs 3.92 per unit on November 1, 2000.
During 2000-2001, Gujarat purchased 19,470 million units of electricity against 15,166 million units in 1998-99.
Patel said that inadequate availability of gas for power generation during 2000-2001 was one of the factors responsible for the reduction in power generation in the state.
The cost of power generation in Gujarat is high because coal is being brought from a distance ranging between 1,000 and 1,800 km at a price ranging from Rs 1,348.32 per tonne to Rs 2,214.29 per tonne. Per unit consumption cost of coal ranges from Rs 1 to Rs 1.65.
The minister explained that in contrast to this, the availability of coal to NTPC power stations at Korba and Vindhyachal is Rs 460.87 and Rs 870.17, respectively, and their per unit coal consumption cost is 0.36 and 0.62 paise, respectively.