Date:22/08/2006 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2006/08/22/stories/2006082214920100.htm

Front Page

Supreme Court chides Delhi Govt. for power muddle

J. Venkatesan

"It seems the power crisis is the concern of the Court and not of the State... ."

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday pulled up the Delhi Government for not showing any concern or seriousness to tackle the power crisis in the Capital.

A Bench of Justice K. G. Balakrishnan and Justice D. K. Jain hearing a petition on "power crisis" described as "not satisfactory" an affidavit filed by the Delhi Government without suggesting any measures to tide over the ongoing crisis. Going by the affidavit, the Bench said, the State would not be able to meet the power supply even for the Commonwealth Games to be held in the Capital in 2010.

Chiding the Government for filing such an affidavit, the Bench observed: "It seems as if the power crisis is the concern of the Court and not of the State.''

Counsel for the Delhi Government said that a better affidavit would be filed detailing short-term measures to tackle the crisis.

Appearing for one of the power distribution companies in the Capital, North Delhi Power Ltd, of the Tata group, senior counsel C. A. Sundaram brought to the notice of the Court that the company had submitted a proposal to the Delhi Government way back in 2003 for setting up a 1000-MW gas-based power plant but till now nothing had been heard from the Government.

Taking a serious note of these submissions, the Bench directed the Delhi Government to file a status report within three weeks containing its response to the proposal of Tatas to set up a power plant and to indicate the short-term steps to tackle the crisis.

Earlier, amicus curiae Ranjit Kumar told the Bench that as against the total demand of 3,600 MW, there was a shortfall of 600 to 900 MW a day in the national Capital and the affidavit of the Delhi Government was silent on the short-term measures to be taken by it to resolve the crisis and Delhiites were suffering long power cuts daily.

He said the petition was pending since 1999 after the death of a patient in the All-India Institute of Medical Sciences who could not be operated upon due to a power failure. He said the Government had not taken steps all these years to increase power generation.

The Delhi Government in its affidavit conceded that the power crisis would continue till the Commonwealth Games.

It said that out of the total installed capacity of 1700 MW only 1300 MW was being generated. It said the power generation in Delhi could not be increased to keep pace with the demand due to various constraints such as environmental considerations and non-availability of any fuel such as coal and gas in the vicinity of Delhi.

Mr. Sundaram submitted that after NDPL took over power distribution, the transmission losses had come down from 53 per cent to 35 per cent and power theft had been curtailed to the extent of 40 per cent.