Monsoon eases water, power shortage in Gujarat

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR, JULY 10. Though Ahmedabad city is suffering from the problem of water- logging, a favourable monsoon has not only taken Gujarat out of the drought situation, it has also helped to improve the power supply position with considerable reduction in the demand from the agricultural sector.

After suffering from three consecutive years of drought causing acute shortage of drinking water, the farmers in the state are hopeful of a good crop this year as the monsoon pattern was particularly favourable for agriculture so far.

The state administration is hopeful of coming out of the dire straits caused by the drought conditions coupled with the Republic Day earthquake which stretched the state exchequer to the maximum limit in providing relief and making arrangements for supply of drinking water. The drought relief and water supply schemes together are estimated to have cost the state about Rs. 1,800 crores while earthquake relief and reconstruction may cost the state in the region of at least Rs. 12,000 crores.

According to the Gujarat Electricity Board chairman, Mr. Nalin Bhatt, with the onset of monsoon, the peak hour demand for power from the agricultural sector has reduced by 4.26 crore units enabling the authorities to cut down the load-shedding on the industrial sector.

The peak hour demand in the summer months from the farm sector was 1,510 lakh units which has come down to 1,074 lakh units following which the average load-shedding has been reduced from about 1,000 MW to 300 MW.

The cut on power supply to the industrial sector was mainly caused by the drought situation which on one side increased the demand from the farm sector to pump out sub-soil water to save the standing crops and on the other brought the hydro-power units to a grinding halt. Both the Ukai and Kadana dams had virtually dried up due to the three consecutive years of drought and little water left in the dams was reserved for drinking purposes reducing the power generation in the Ukai and kadana hydro units by 547 MW. The hydel power units are expected to resume generation after the monsoon this year.

In addition, about 200 MW of power was consumed in lifting water from the Narmada dam to supply through the pipelines to the Saurashtra region. Besides the planned shutdown of the thermal units for routine maintenance reduces the power generation further by over 580 MW and forced shutdown of some 10 units for major repairs causes a generation loss of over 1,080 MW.

The widespread rainfall almost all over the state including the worst drought-hit areas of the Kutch-Saurashtra and north Gujarat regions has enabled the State Government to discontinue the drought relief operations.

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Section  : Other States
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