Maharashtra netas play blame game as power cuts loom large

While agitations against power cuts are intensifying across the state, political parties are playing the blame game.

While deputy chief minister and energy minister Ajit Pawar on Thursday claimed the agitations were “politically motivated”, state Congress chief Manikrao Thakre urged chief minister Prithviraj Chavan to intervene and solve the crisis.

“The people who are against the Jaitapur nuclear power project are the ones protesting against power cuts,” said Pawar, thus indirectly blaming the Shiv Sena, which is opposed to the project.

Thakre, in a press statement, said the chief minister must look into the matter of hurdles in the coal supply so that more power could be generated.

The state government, on Wednesday, had said that power to industries would be cut for two shifts per week and to farmers for a day per week due to the shortfall.

The Centre also stepped in to promise additional 1,600 megawatt (MW) of electricity, half of which would be available in a week’s time.

Yet, even before the crisis began, the state government did not generate sufficient power to meet the demand.

Maharashtra’s total power generation capacity is a little less than 13,000 MW and the current peak demand is 16,500MW.  Thus even if generation is at 100% (and thermal generation is at best at 95-96%), the state is still short by 3,500 MW. Moreover, consumption rises by 10% every year.

Industry experts blame the state government for the situation. “The state government has not added a major power project since the Dabhol crisis in the late 1990s,” said an industry expert who did not want to be named.

Over the years, more power was generated by increasing the capacities in the state’s existing projects.

The state government also did not enter into long-term power purchase agreements (PPAs) to augment its supply, preferring to depend upon purchasing power from the market as and when required.

The problem with this system is that when the entire country generates insufficient power, purchasing options are limited and costs astronomical. “The state needs PPAs for stable supply of power,” said the expert.

Experts added that the ruling Congress-Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) government, particularly the latter, are to be blamed for the power cuts. The NCP has held the power portfolio since 1999 and has done precious little in the last 12 years.