NEW DELHI: Delhi Transco Limited announced on Saturday that because of inadequate availability of power, load-shedding varying between 50 MW and 250 MW was being carried out by rotation between 7-30 a.m. and 11 a.m. to maintain grid discipline.

In a statement, the company requested power consumers to cooperate by reducing power consumption during this period by minimising illumination levels and switching off lights whenever they are not required, especially in unoccupied areas.

On the reasons behind the shortage of power, Delhi Transco said that due to inadequate rains and high day temperatures, the power load was about 10 to 12 per cent higher than last year while the availability of waters in the rivers is about 14 to 15 per cent less and this had resulted in reduced hydel generation in the region.

Though adequate arrangements have been made for power requirements along with some cushion during November, it said due to less generation at the hydel power plants there is a shortage of power in the region in general and Delhi in particular.

The company said the situation has also been impacted by forced outages in some major units where the share of power of Delhi was 12.5 per cent. These include the Nathpa Jhakri, which has a capacity of 1,500 but has been making available only 250 MW, and the Rihand project where one unit of 500 MW is under forced outage.

In addition, it said, one unit of 210 MW at Dadri Plant and one of 95 MW at Badarpur Plant are under planned maintenance and this has directly affected the power scenario in Delhi. Also, the reduced availability of gas at about 75 per cent of the required level at the 330 MW Pragati Plant and 280 MW IP Gas Turbine Power Plant has resulted in additional shortage of over 100 MW of power from these plants, it said.

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