Now Reading: MP power crunch hits rural areas with hour-long outages
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MP power crunch hits rural areas with hour-long outages
Madhya Pradesh is facing unscheduled power cuts, especially during evening hours, as power availability in the national market has declined due to the El Nino phenomenon and deficient rainfall across the country. Rural areas are experiencing more severe outages than urban centres, with cuts lasting from half an hour to one hour.
Congress MLAs Bala Bachchan and Pratap Grehwal said their constituencies are flooded with complaints. Grehwal noted that his tribal-dominated Sardarpur area, already facing a drought-like situation, is hit by unscheduled cuts without prior information. He plans to raise the issue in the Assembly's winter session.
State power demand is about 14,000 MW, with production at nearly the same level. Power Management Company executive director Rajiv Gupta said buyers outnumber sellers in the national market. Eight hydel units in Madhya Pradesh are shut due to low water levels or repairs, reducing supply by 160 MW.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The state's power generation is barely meeting demand, leaving no buffer for market shortages. Rural areas bear the brunt because load regulation by discoms prioritises urban centres. The closure of eight hydel units, totalling 160 MW, at Gandhi Sagar and Rajghat dams due to low water levels and maintenance deepens the crunch. With deficient rainfall and a drought-like situation in parts of the state, the coming months could worsen supply unless hydel generation resumes or market power becomes available. The Assembly winter session will be the next political arena for this issue.
Source: freepressjournal.in
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above. Methodology and corrections.
