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Punjab lifts power curbs on industry as demand down due to rain
A 660 MW unit of Talwandi Sabo plant, which had gone completely out of operation, starts generating power
Heavy rain across northern parts of the country on Monday brought relief to the distressed Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) as the demand for electricity in the state went down by 4,000 megawatts.
Also, a 660 MW unit of the Talwandi Sabo Power Limited (TSPL), which had gone completely out of operation, started generating power on Monday.
With slight improvement in the power supply situation, chief minister Captain Amarinder Singh announced to relax the restrictions on industry imposed since July 4. “All restrictions have been lifted and the industry can operate as routine,” said the CM.
The rain brought the demand down to 8,500 MW against 13,000 MW till recently.
PSPCL chairman-cum-managing director (CMD) A Venu Prasad said all industries have been allowed to resume operations with immediate effect. Due to an unprecedented rise in power demand, the PSPCL as a temporary measure ordered restrictions on industries to provide continuous supply to domestic consumers and 8-hours electricity to the agriculture sector for paddy sowing.
Due to an unprecedented rise in demand of power, the PSPCL had as a temporary measure ordered restrictions on industrial consumers across the state to provide continuous power supply to domestic consumers and 8-hour electricity to the agriculture sector for paddy sowing.
The power department, despite high demand for consumption had not imposed any restrictions on small and medium industries like rice shellers, cattle feed units, call centres, mushroom farms, food processing units and other essential Industries/services, a department spokesperson said.
Prasad said that despite the failure of TSPL plant, the PSPCL met the highest ever energy demand of 3,066 lakh units on July 1. The day’s demand had surpassed the earlier single day record of 3,018 lakh units.
