CHANDIGARH: State-owned PSPCL today said it has made arrangement of additional 2,000 MW of power for the uninterrupted supply to the farm sector in the state ahead of the paddy sowing season.
"We have made arrangement of 2,000 MW of power for supplying power to the agricultural sector for paddy sowing which will start on June 10," Punjab State Power Corporation Ltd (PSPCL), Director (Generation) Arun Verma said today.
The power utility managed to buy power under short-term purchase arrangement from different sources including Power Trading Corporation, Shri Cement etc., at cheaper rate of Rs 3.91 per unit compared to last year's purchase of Rs 4.04 per unit, he said.
Paddy sowing in Punjab starts from June 10 and power requirement during this time goes up considerably for drawing underground water by farmers for watering the crop. Farm sector is given daily eight hours of power to the agriculture sector.
PSPCL has projected the demand for power in the state to go up by 30 per cent to 1900-2000 lakh units (LU) in the month of June in the wake of paddy sowing and blistering heat in the northern region.
"The demand for power in the state will reach 1900-2000 LU (8500 MW) in June and we think we be able to meet this requirement," he said.
Currently, the demand for power in the state is pegged at 1480 LU.
PSPCL has also made arrangement of additional power through banking arrangement with other states to meet the growing demand for energy in the summer season.
"We will also get 1600 million units through banking arrangement with Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir which will be returned in winter," he said.
(PTI)
