BHUBANESWAR: Even as several parts of Odisha continue to reel under frequent power cuts amid an unprecedented heatwave, the state government on Monday said the crisis is a result of excess demand and overload on distribution transformers.
Rebutting the power cut claims, Energy Minister Pratap Keshari Deb clarified that a power cut is a regulation of power supply whenever there is a scarcity of electricity. And, regulation of power requires approval of Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC).
“There is no shortage of power in the state. Supply interruption in some places is due to an overload of distribution transformers leading to power tripping. Sometimes insulators burst due to high voltage, and summer heat disrupts the power supply. These are local problems and it takes time to restore the power supply. This has nothing to do with power cut,” the minister told media persons.
Deb said the power demand of the state has gone beyond 5,500 MW in the second week of April due to the heat wave and excess demand during morning and evening peak hours. This leads to power tripping as distribution transformers are unable to bear the load. The average demand for electricity in the state which was around 4,200 MW has crossed 4,500 MW mark while the highest peak demand was 5,696 MW at 10 pm on April 14.
Responding to Deb, senior Congress leader and former minister Panchanan Kanungo told The New Indian Express, the state government is hiding facts from the public to protect the interests of Tata Power. “I am in my village now (for rituals of his elder brother Trilochan Kanungo who passed away on April 21) and there are frequent power cuts without any notice by the distribution licensee. It is happening everywhere and the minister is lying for reasons best known to him,” he said.
The minister is dwelling on technicalities while people continue to suffer. The consumers are least bothered whether it is a power interruption or power cut, Panchanan said. Power analyst Ananda Mohapatra asked the minister to explain the reasons for power tripping as Rs 20,000 crore has been invested in infrastructure development in the power sector in the last 10 years. Tata Power was right when it said the distribution infrastructure in the state was in a dilapidated condition when it took over the four distribution companies. Mohapatra said the minister’s argument of overload on transformers is vague.