The Hindu : Transco resorts to staggered powercuts

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Sunday, Mar 31, 2002

Southern States

Southern States - Andhra Pradesh-Hyderabad

Transco resorts to staggered powercuts

By Our Special Correspondent

Hyderabad March 30. A staggered power shutdown is being implemented in the State areawise by the AP Transco for one to two hours during daytime as the total available power is not sufficient to meet the demand which peaked to a record 160 million units per day.

This was announced by the Energy Minister, K. Subbarayudu, in the Assembly on Saturday when members from different parties complained about unofficial power cuts or interruptions being experienced in some parts of the State.

According to information given by Mr Subbarayudu in the House and the Transco Transmission Director, M. Gopalachary, separately, there had still been a demand-supply gap to the tune of 10 million units per day despite extra buying from the Eastern Grid and fresh drawals from Gridco's Sileru and Machkhund hydel complexes and even with Simhadri rejoining the grid with an initial of 100 MW. From this morning, Eastern Grid had stepped up supply to Andhra Pradesh to 500 MW and out of this, the State was buying 230 MW compared to 170 MW as earlier. Added to this, Sileru was supplying giving 112 MW and Machkund 55 MW.

While the normal hydel annual output was 8,600 MU, the figure for this year remained at 5,700 MU, the lowest in 30 years. The present storages in Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam would not last more than 15 to 20 days. In view of this, the generation at these stations was brought down to 3.1 MU and 6.1 MU respectively yesterday.

The Minister, however, assured the agitated members who highlighted the plight of students and farmers in view of examinations and standing rabi crop that there would not be cut or shutdown during night time anywhere in the State. The staggered supply to agriculture pumpsets would be ensured for nine hours but in two spells of six hours and three hours, as was being done all these days.

Mr Subbarayudu said even with several hurdles, the supply in Andhra Pradesh was the highest among the southern States. The supply was made to the extent of 150 MU in the State while the corresponding figures for Tamil Nadu, Karanataka and Kerala stood at 130 MU, 90 MU and 35 MU respectively.

The Minister expressed the helplessness of the Government and Transco to take the frequency of the grid to 50 cycles per second on the ground that Andhra Pradesh was one of the partners of the southern grid and unless a heavy dose of power was pumped into the system by all other States this would be impossibility. Mr Subbarayudu expressed hope that the situation would improve within a week.

G. Chinna Reddy, D. Srinivas, both Congress, N. Narsimhaiah, CPI (M), and K. Chandrasekhara Rao, TRS, cited cuts or interruptions being experienced already in their respective areas.

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