Aurangabad Apr 11 (PTI) Stating that load shedding in Maharashtra is inevitable due to demand and supply mismatch amid summer, Energy Minister Nitin Raut on Monday said coal is in short supply and added that there is not much scope for generating hydropower due to less availability of water.
Raut also said that no power is available for purchase in the market and even states like Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh are facing power cuts.
His remarks came days after the state cabinet approved the purchase of energy by the state-owned Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) for the next two months to avoid load shedding in the state. “Many states are facing coal shortage due to reduced production in coal mines. Even if coal becomes available, rakes for its transportation are not available. The management of coal in India seems to have gone wrong,” he told reporters in Aurangabad.
The minister also underlined the shortage of electricity for purchase in the open market.
“Even though we reach out to market for purchase, there is no electricity available. The expenditure on electricity has gone up as everything is open now (after lockdown). At the same time, power consumers are yet to clear the pending dues,” he said and appealed to people to pay bills.
Raut said one TMC of water is required every day for generating electricity.
“Even if we get water, we may not get it beyond the need of three days. So the possibility of generating hydropower is almost over. We have to be dependent on thermal power generation projects for electricity. We have to do load shedding to some extent,” he added. PTI AW NSK NSK
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