PATIALA: Y.S.Ratra Chairman, Punjab State Electricity Board informed that due to deficient rainfall in the states of Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, Madhya Pardesh, Andhara Pardesh, Karnataka & Kerala (Southern & Western regions of National Power Grid) water level in their hydel reservoirs has fallen to lowest levels.

Consequently the power generation in these States has severely been affected resulting into temporary short fall in the availability of power in these States. Heavy power cuts are being imposed to meet the gap between demand & supply.

He said due to these reasons, States like Gujarat, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu & Madhya Pardesh have backed out of the earlier agreement to bank power with PSEB. Further many states with which PSEB had entered into firm contracts for supply of power during paddy have withdrawn the power unilaterally under Force Majeure clause of the contract. Thus the availability of Power to PSEB has reduced by 600MW(1340 lakhs units) against the demand of 1750 lakh units per day. Thus gap of 410 lakh units has been created resulted the per\id of powercuts.
 
PSEB has increased power cuts from 6 hours to 8 hours in urban areas and frm 12 hours to 18 hours in rural area for domestic supply.
 
Power shortage is also forcing all the States to overdraw from the grid which is resulting in very low frequency in the grid system, severely restricting PSEB's overdrawal from the grid. PSEB could only draw 70 MW from the National grid on 23-7-08 against 420MW on same day last year.

Ratra further informed that in addition to above, the generation in the Northern region has also reduced due to continued outage of one 500MW unit of Singraouli Power Plant (UP) since 23-06-2008 & one 210MW unit of Unchahar (UP) since 20-07-2008. Further due to partial availability of Liquid fuel at Dadri Power Plant (UP), its generators are not operating at full capacity. The loss of PSEB share is 70MW.

BBMB is still to resume full release of water from Pong dam. They are only releasing 5000 cusecs of water against the capacity of 12000cusecs of Mukerian Project thereby affecting the Generation at MHP. The generation loss to PSEB is to the tune of 150MW from both these projects.

Ratra informed that this position is likely to remain till 31st July. However if the rains improve in the Southern & Western region the position will become comfortable during  August. Presently PSEB has been forced to impose cuts as per real time availability of Power.