Power cuts have long made people's lives miserable in the state, as they arrive with regularity every year, especially in summer when the consumption is at its highest. While the state claims to be hamstrung by various problems in increasing its power generation , the situation this year is threatening to worsen on account of something as avoidable as a lack of coordination between government departments.
Shockingly, four of the Raichur Thermal Power Station's eight units were shut down on Monday only because the irrigation department stopped water supply to it without consulting the energy department or even considering its requirements. This is not the first instance of its kind though. Last year, the state was plunged into darkness several times owing to tripping of one or the other of the RTPS units and early this year some of its units were shut down for lack of coal. This time it is water shortage to keep its units running which is threatening to plunge the state into a major power crisis.
The Raichur plant, with a capacity to generate 1,720 MW and accounting for about 16 per cent of the state's power output, clearly needs urgent upgradation. But the Karnataka Power Corporation's plans to replace its units 1 and 2 last year were put on hold for financial reasons. The state too couldn't afford to do away with two units and wait for fours years for new units to begin generating power.
While a lot was expected from the Udupi Power Corporation Ltd (UPCL) with an installed capacity of 1,200 MW, it has made little difference in effect. Energy minister Shobha Karandlaje says the commissioning of the 500 MW unit in Bellary in the next fortnight will ease the situation, but seems to have forgetten that any thermal unit needs over two or three months to stabilse before it can make any significant contribution to power generation.
The state can use its hydel plants, which generate about 2,860 MW, to the optimum, but would risk over exploiting water resources already under pressure this way. At a loss to meet the power needs of the people, it is doing what comes easiest to it - buy power from private sources. The state cabinet has sanctioned about Rs 2,650 crores for buying power from private players this year, after laying out Rs 3,847 crore for this last year too.
Meanwhile, little is being done to stop pilferage of power and energy theft, for promoting conservation or making long term plans to meet the state’s needs, which shamefully generates only 5493 MW as against its installed capacity of 10,558 MW.