GUWAHATI, March 25 � The Government will make all out efforts to overcome the problem of shortage of power during the ensuing summer season, assured Power Minister, Pradyut Bordoloi in the State Assembly today.
In written replies to separate questions by Dr Tara Prasad Das (Ind) and Mobarak Ali Pathan (AUDF), the Minister said that during the summer season, the peak hour demand of power in the state ranges from 980 to 1000 MW, while, the demand comes down to around 725 to 780 MW during the winter season. He said that against the demand, about 690 to 700 MW of power could be made available and the Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) is generating around 210 to 220 MW of power.
Giving an account of the steps taken to overcome the problem of shortage of power during the ensuing summer season, Bordoloi said that the state is procuring major part of the power required from the generating stations in the central sector, while, the Government is trying to sign agreements with the small independent power projects to procure power. He said that efforts are also being made to get power from other states through power exchange scheme. He admitted that as the State getting around 70 per cent of its power requirement from the hydropower projects, shortage of rainfall, particularly during the dry season, sometimes create problems and in such a scenario, efforts would be made to meet the shortfall by procuring power from other states.
Bordoloi further informed the House that steps have been initiated to increase the generation capacity of the Lakwa Thermal Power station of the ASEB by 37.50 MW. He expressed the hope that the first unit of the 750 MW power project being set up by the National Thermal Power Corporation would be commissioned within this year and in that case, the State would get 250 MW of power from it.
