The state-owned power distribution utility Mahavitaran has agreed to buy power on a ‘day-ahead’ basis in whatever quantity it is available, to keep load shedding in Pune, Navi Mumbai and Thane at minimum levels.
This was decided at a meeting of officials of state energy ministry and state-owned power utilities with Energy Minister Dilip Walse Patil, who attended the meeting through video conferencing from Pune.
By using captive capacity of the local industry, Pune was last year made load-shedding-free. This model was replicated in Navi Mumbai and Thane. However, as the demand for power has gone up from these cities in the last two months, it is no longer possible to keep these cities power-cut-free. Load shedding was, therefore, introduced in these cities about two months back.
At present, these cities are facing four-and-a-half hours of load shedding.
It was suggested Mahavitaran should buy power on a day-ahead basis. However, it did not agree, claiming this would make power distribution difficult.
If these cities are to be made power-cut-free, an additional 400 Mw of power needs to be pumped in the distribution network of these cities.
It was also decided that the situation in the state would be carefully watched before increasing the load shedding. As rains have given the state a miss, power cuts have risen from 16 hours a week to 40 hours a week in July. However, with the return of monsoon during later July and early August it was again reduced to 16 hours a week.
But scanty rainfall in the last 4-5 days have shot the demand-supply gap up to 4,500 Mw. It was decided that the situation would be observed for 3-4 more days before reaching a final decision on the issue.
