No improvement in power quality for industrial and domestic consumers; Every monsoon electricity continues to play truant
By | 14 Jul, 2014, 10:15PM IST
PANJIM: Power cuts are not new. Erratic power has been the norm for most Goans. Governments have changed; those in opposition have come to power and those in power are in opposition. But this has not. And, even the excuses of those in government as well as the substance and the tenor of the opposition attacks too remain the same -- rain, thunderstorms, trees falling, branches breaking lines, lack of money, lack of infrastructure, previous government did not do anything; like a broken record.
The note from the power minister Milind Naik to his department too is not new. It is dated, October 26, 2012. The note perused by Herald says that, as he desires “to assess the scenario in respect of the availability of load and infrastructure before the release of any new/fresh cases of intending consumers for the supply to housing colonies and multistoried buildings so as to not create inconvenience/difficulties to the existing consumers.”
Continuing: “Hence all load requirements of 60 KW and above for individual housing, group housing colonies and multistoried buildings and others (are) to be sent to my office for approval for release.
The chief electrical engineer is directed to comply with the above directives strictly henceforth.”
This note was sent along with a circular to the superintending engineer and executive engineers with a copy to the power minister’s OSD by the then chief electrical engineer Nirmal Braganza asking them to strictly adhere the guidelines mentioned in the note.
After allegations were initially made, albeit muted ones, the chief minister told media that “the minister has to assess where there is power and there is no power before he can clear the files,” even as he went on to criticize the policies of the previous government on recruitment saying they had recruited diploma holders and so the staff was not qualified, could not handle the work and the government would ask the centre to depute staff on a temporary basis.
When the chief minister was talking about this, the power minister was at his side.
Then too, the chief minister had said that in the last 10 years particularly, there were no lines changed. Nothing happened at all, and in the past 20-25 years lines have not been replaced. They get corroded and snap if the current increases even a little.”
However, now it is 2014 and till date there has been no improvement in the power quality in the state both for industrial as well as domestic consumers and with every rain the electricity plays truant on a regular basis even after this note. While allegations have arisen that there is a “pick and choose” method adopted by the minister while clearing files and some have gone to town asking whether the department was not qualified to make an assessment of the power requirements and whether the minister and his “merry men” had some special methods to decide if the capacity was there before clearing the files.
Also as only around 1% of the cabling till date is underground, even the lines which are in good condition have to face the vagrancies of the weather and disruptions will occur in case of falling branches or poles being uprooted.
Just when the rains started, the department top brass had insisted that it had nothing to do with their state of preparedness or that there is a shortfall in supply, the power cuts due to lightning strikes or falling branches or trees being uprooted by the gusty winds.
“This is due to the heavy rain, lightning, and tree fall,” says chief electrical engineer, S Laxman when asked about the power cuts witnessed in the state especially when the rain begins.
“Whenever there is a fault we try to rectify it as soon as possible. But many times if there are multiple faults, it takes some time,” he says.
He also reiterates that there is enough power and even during peak hours they ensure that the domestic power is not affected.
The government has signed a letter of intent to purchase 50 MW of power and promises to ensure adequate power supply. A combination of factors including the purchase of power from the Power Trading Corporation, overdrawing till the allowed limit and reduction in load from a peak of 550 MW odd to 450 MW will ensure that the government manages to ensure that power is supplied to domestic consumers and industry, officials say. However, industry will face a shortfall of upto 25 MW on the above 33 KV lines between 6 and 10 p.m.
http://www.heraldgoa.in/Goa/Despite-Parrikar%E2%80%99s-tall-talk-power-situation-is-still-grim/15778.html#.U8OIEj-Sz9k
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