If one thinks power cuts are a thing of the past, it can turn out to be a misplaced hope.
The APTransco is pinning hopes on the largesse of rain god in the form of copious falls to tide over the power crisis. “God has to help us. If we have enough hydel power this season, there will no shortage of power,” APTransco chairman and managing director Hiralal Samariya said on Thursday.
The Central Power Distribution Company Ltd (CPDCL) is able to supply power round the clock, barring unscheduled load-shedding, even at the mandal level because the rabi season has ended and there is not much pressure from the farm sector.
But in districts served by the other three discoms, power cuts are still continuing. “Soon we sill take stock of the situation and ensure that there is uniformity in imposition of power cuts across the state,” Samaria said.
Samaria, after reviewing the power supply situation with CPDCL officials, said the gap between demand and supply would be about 70 million units per day on an average in June-July. “I cannot say now if we would be forced to imopse power cuts,” he said.
The gap was 62 million units per day in March, which came down to 45 million units in April because rabi season was coming to an end. “This has allowed us to lift power cuts in areas where we could,” he said, adding: “The demand-supply mismatch was because of about 50 percent fall in hydel power and 43 percent fall in generation by gas-based stations.”
As regards supply to the industrial sector, Samariaya said the power utilities were able to meet 60 percent of the industries’ contracted demand now. They are also trying to help small-scale industries by augmenting supply to them.
Samariya said the 800 mw unit of APGenco at Krishnapatnam will commence generation in October this year and the second 800 mw unit will become operational by January next year. This apart, Kakatiya Thermal Power Station at Bhoopalpalle in Warangal district will have its 600 mw unit ready. In addition to his, Hindujas have promised to supply the entire power they generate to Andhra Pradesh. Their 520 mw unit will be ready by October and another 520 mw unit will be commissioned by January next year. The NTPC has committed to supplying 250 mw from Tuticorin and 120 mw from Vallur, Samariya said.
He said the APTransco had purchased 9,078 million units from outside by paying an average price of `5.70 per unit and it proposes to purchase 12,334 million units this year. He could not say how much would be the average price. “It is difficult to say at the moment,” he said.