Over 20 lakh electricity consumers in Thane, Mulund, Bhandup, Navi Mumbai and Pune areas are again experiencing nearly six-hours of load-shedding.
“This will continue till we are assured of firm power to serve these areas,” a Maharashtra State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (MSEDCL) official said.
After the successful implementation of the Pune model where there is zero load-shedding because of captive power, a similar method was implemented in these areas through a tripartite agreement between the MSEDCL, the Tata Power Trading Company Limited and the local consumer organisations.
However, the consumers in Thane, Mulund, Bhandup, and Navi Mumbai have to face long hours of power cuts as demand-supply situation has worsened due to poor rainfall.
The total requirement of these areas — 350mw — is met by trading power from the Indian Energy Exchange (IEX) on a day-ahead basis.
“Consumers from Thane, Navi Mumbai and Pune circles had already decided to pay additional cost for uninterrupted supply. Also, the trading company was prepared to trade for the required power depending on daily requirement,” said Ashok Pendse, member of Mumbai Grahak Panchayat, the consumer association signing the agreement on behalf of consumers from Mulund, Bhandup and Kanjurmarg areas.
General secretary of Thane Belapur Industries Association SL Patil said, “MSEDCL has violated the MERC order which, after a public hearing, had asked it to impose zero load-shedding in these areas. If the utility feels the Tatas are not able to procure the requisite power, they must make other arrangements instead of imposing power cuts on consumers.”
An MSEDCL spokesperson said “The daily requirement for Pune is 200mw, Thane is 99mw and Navi Mumbai is 107mw whereas the power procured on Wednesday was only 100mw. In such a situation, it is difficult to schedule our power availability.”
The power utility on Wednesday morning was flooded with frantic calls from consumers who complained on being subjected to unscheduled load-shedding.
