GUWAHATI, Oct 10 � The State may face further shortage of power amounting to 175 MW in the next seven days with effect from this evening. In the face of this, the State-run Assam Power Distribution Company Ltd (APDCL) may have to resort to heavy load-shedding during this period, said Assam State Electricity Board (ASEB) sources here.
According to the sources, the North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (NEEPCO) authorities have informed the APDCL today that several organisations in Arunachal Pradesh have called for bandhs during this period. This may force the NEEPCO to suspend operation of its Ranganadi Hydroelectric Power Project in the period.
The share of power Assam is entitled to from this NEEPCO hydel project is 175 MW. In case operation in the power plant is suspended, Assam may lose this size of power. This will lead to the overall shortfall of around 300 MW of power in the State during the said period.
The State is already undergoing a shortfall of 275 MW of power. It is trying to reduce this shortfall by procuring between 100 MW and 150 MW of power from the spot market at the rate of Rs 6.22 per unit at the sending end, which turned in to Rs 8.10 per unit at the receiving end.
Today, the peak load hour power demand of the State was 1100 MW and its off-peak load hour power demand was 800 MW. For tomorrow, the APDCL has arranged to procure up to 160 MW of power from the spot market in view of the Lakshmi Puja. It will have to buy this amount of power at the rate of Rs 7.67 per unit at the sending end, which will emerge to be Rs 9.90 per unit at the receiving end, sources said.
