Paddy Season Begins; Only Good Monsoon Will Keep Power Cuts At Bay
With the upcoming season of the transplantation of paddy, the PSPCL (Punjab Power Corporation Limited) will be making all the arrangements but in reality it is only the good Monsoon which can save the state of Punjab from any electricity cuts during summers. Punjab has not been able to add even one unit of power in the few years, in spite of all the claims made by the SAD BJP.
However, the reason to be worried is that the state has the capacity of supplying electricity up to eight thousand and five hundred mega watts and the load is already going to touch around seven thousand three hundred mega watts, and this is all without any supply for the agri sector, which is starting from 10th June. The government of Punjab offers free power to the agricultural sector and has also assured a nonstop eight hours supply of power this season of paddy.
During the present season, twenty seven point five lakh hectares would go for the cultivation of paddy against the twenty eight. One eight lakh hectares of the last season.
According to the estimates of PSPCL, it would have a shortage of twenty three percent power during the coming season of paddy.
PSPCL has purchased electricity worth rupees sixteen hundred crores for the season of paddy. Out of the total power procured, one thousand nine hundred and fifty mega watts will be purchased for a shorter period, while three thousand three hundred and fifty mega watt power will be procured for the long term arrangement.
A senior official of PSPCL told us that as against the capacity of eight thousand five hundred mega watt of power supplied in the state, PSPCL is prospecting of crossing a load of ten thousand mega watt after the tube wells will start operating. Therefore, it is only the good Monsoon which can save the state. Otherwise the power cuts are imminent.
Even though the government of Punjab has installed a capacity of three thousand and seven hundred mega watts, it’s producing approximately three thousand to three thousand three hundred mega watts of power on a regular basis. It can get electricity up to five thousand two hundred and fifty mega watts from outside. Therefore, it will be able to supply just eight thousand five hundred to eight thousand seven hundred mega watts of electricity. The north grid officials have become quite strict this season due to the grid failure of last year.
