From rxpgnews.com
Mumbai is lighted - at Maharashtra's cost
By IANS,
Apr 9, 2007 - 4:43:26 PM
Mumbai, April 9 - Mumbai has heaved a sigh of relief as the bulk power suppliers in the metropolis have been given time till next Monday to procure extra power to ensure that India's financial capital avoids outages, though the move comes at the expense of the rest of the state.
The Mumbai utilities - Tata Power Company -, Reliance Energy Ltd - and state-run Brihanmumbai Electric Supply and Transport - - Monday said they have enough electricity to avoid outages in the city and its suburbs, even as the state distribution utility Mahavitaran recorded a statewide shortfall of 5,500 MW - the highest in recent times.
The Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Ltd or Mahavitaran has however warned that the situation in the state would worsen as the summer peaks.
An official said that although TPC, the bulk power supplier to Mumbai and its suburbs, is only drawing 30-40 MW power from the state power grid, the scenario would change once the summer demand grew.
Earlier TPC was 'overdrawing' 250-300 MW from the state grid to save the megapolis from power cuts.
Mumbai needs 2,600 MW of power daily, while the present supply is only 2,270 MW. TPC supplies 1,770 MW and REL pitches in with another 500 MW for the city.
Maharashtra's daily demand of power is 15,000 MW. With a daily shortfall now reaching to over 5,500 MW, it is presently drawing 700 MW of power from outside the state.
To keep Mumbai shining, the state utility has increased load shedding by another 30 minutes.
'This will affect the suburbs of Bhandup and Mulund, who will now face outages of four-and-a-half hours. Areas like Thane and the satellite city of Navi Mumbai which are already facing outages of four-and-half to 12 hours will feel the additional burden of load shedding,' said a senior Mahavitaran official.
'Areas like Dombivili and Kalyan will have load shedding up to eight hours. In rural Maharashtra, outages would go beyond 14 hours daily,' the official told IANS Monday.
But consumers in Navi Mumbai are not amused.
'Why should we suffer for Mumbai? We are already reeling under six to eight hours of load shedding daily and now it has been increased by another 30 minutes. How does one justify this?' said exasperated housewife Krishna Pol from Panvel in Navi Mumbai.
'In the Vashi-Virar western suburban region, the official time for power cuts is eight hours, but lights often go out for up to nine to 10 hours,' complained Seema Bose, a housewife in Vasai.
'The power goes off at 6.30 a.m. And comes back at 10 a.m. before shutting off again at 2 p.m. only to return at 8 p.m. And with summer yet to peak, I just don't know who we will cope with the situation,' she said.
Caught in the power muddle, Mahavitarn has taken to sending SMSes to consumers extorting them to economise.
'Save Power, Save Money. Save Power for Our Better Future' say SMSes sent by the Mahavitaran executive engineer to consumers in Panvel Urban Division.
'The use of compact fluorescent - tube lights as against tube lights and bulbs, reduced use of TV, AC, washing machine, etc, will help reduce the use of power and eventually save money on electricity bills,' the SMSes advise consumers.
With the threat of an imminent power cuts now looming large, desperate Mumbaikars are also looking for ways to economise power.
'There is a vulgar wastage of power in luxury hotels and city malls. Why on earth do they need elevators for one or two floors?' asked Satish Mahajan of Dadar in central Mumbai.
'Power-guzzling malls should be asked to arrange for their own power supply. No new malls should be allowed in the city till the power situation in the state stabilises.'
All rights reserved by RxPG Medical Solutions Private Limited ( www.rxpgnews.com )
|
|