Bhopal, October 01: In spite of less rainfall in Madhya Pradesh, efforts are being made to ensure power supply for 22 hours in cities, 19 hours in district headquarters, 14 hours in tehsil headquarters and 12 hours in rural areas every day in October.
Besides, efforts will be made to make power available on three-phase line for at least 8-9 hours for irrigation. Unexpected power cuts would be avoided.
Madhya Pradesh Power Trading Company Limited Managing Director P K Vaishya informed that water reservoirs did not attain full tank level due to weak monsoon and less than average rainfall this year. Yesterday, Gandhi Sagar reservoir level was about 39 feet below full tank mark, while Ban Sagar reservoir level was about 11 metre below, Bargi reservoir about 6.3 metre below, Pench reservoir about three metre below and Madikheda reservoir about 20 metre below full tank mark. Indira Sagar reservoir level, attached to the biggest hydro-power plant, was also 2.7 metre below its full tank mark. This has badly affected hydro-power generating capacity.
A scheme has been chalked out to complete maintenance of thermal power stations by October, keeping in mind the coming ‘rabi’ season.
However, two units of 120 MW at Amarkantak thermal power station will remain closed alternately for modernisation till March 2010. Power demand was expected to be around 5,500 MW during night, 5,100 MW during day and 6,100 MW during evening in October. This was 10 per cent more than the previous year. However, power availability was same as last year due to less rainfall.
Power supply will be approximately 18-20 per cent or 1,000 MW less than power availability in October as compared to the same month during the previous year.
—Agencies