Tamil Nadu is reeling under a severe power shortage.Even before the onset of summer,people are put to hardships due to the frequent power cuts.The deficit in power supply is said to be the tune of 4000 MW.It is very evident there can not be any instant magical solution to bridge the gap between generation and demand. But the government has to manage the summer deftly .The only plausible solution to tide over the situation could be borrowing power from energy surplus states.With the establishment of the National power grid,inter regional power exchange has grown.Many ambitious projects are underway to improve the inter regional transfer capacity.But the problem is, there are just 4 power generation surplus states and all other Indian states have power generation shortage to meet their own demands.Punjab,Gujarat,Goa and Kerala are the only 4 power surplus states.National power grid could become meaningful only when a majority of the states become self sufficient to meet their on power demands and go on to produce surplus power .
In a recent meeting with power sector chief's PM admitted power crisis is a "National Problem". On one side government sources say coal shortage as the cause for the low power generation.The indigenous poor quality of the coal is also blamed for low power generation .Power sector chief's believe importing coal form Australia or Indonesia is not a viable option as the prices are prohibitive. The irony is Coal India is producing only half of its licensed capacity .Private sector power generation companies are seeking a revision in tariff as they are using imported coal.In Tamil Nadu few Private sector power generation companies have stopped production since the government has not paid their dues.
Those in authority seem to forget that uninterrupted power supply is the engine for growth and development .We don't seem to learn from states that have managed to generate surplus power .In 2001,Gujarat was a power deficit state.Now Gujarat produces over 7000 MW surplus power. They have drawn plans to minimise transmission losses also. With the exception of few states, all the electricity boards in the country are running on losses.Each successive government tries to announce populist schemes to attract the vote bank and offer free electricity to farmers.Fiscal management has been the casualty of all Electricity Boards in the country due to vote bank politics.They seem to forget there is an ever growing increase in demand,a consistent drop in supply and the gap between demand and supply has been widening precariously.
It is estimated at least 32 % of the power generated in the country is lost in transmission and distribution. The total power deficit in the country is lesser than this.This is apart from the power theft reported in various places by unscrupulous elements.In our country even politicians and political parties indulge in power theft for their pompous meetings and celebrations.One must bear in mind,when we talk about power interruptions and the consequent discomfort ,we forget there are still over 300 million Indian citizens who have no access to power in India .But our politicians are happy in just announcing freebies to hoodwink the electorates at the time of elections and mismanage the resources of the country.At the time of elections two remote villages with less than 50 houses received 100 percent solar power in Himachal Pradesh ! .How do you explain this ?
The other day I read in a Tamil magazine that potable water is distributed to all villages in Gujarat ,taking in to account the requirement of each house ,based on the members in each house and a cumulative quantity thus arrived is supplied to the entire village .The water supply is controlled electronically to avoid wastage.But on the contrary one can witness water tanker lorries going through the roads with heavy leaks day in and day out in other parts of the country .No one bothers to plug the leak and save the precious depleting resource.This is because those in authority lack vision.When people are unconcerned,even after seeing a visible wastage, how can one expect action on invisible losses like transmission and distribution in power ?What is required is a sound fiscal management and a visionary administrator.
The government should give thrust to the use of unconventional renewable energy sources. Use of solar energy panels should be made mandatory for new residential buildings,apartments,educational institutions and create awareness about the renewable energy sources .When rain harvesting could be made mandatory to preserve ground water ,why not make use of solar energy panels mandatory to ease the power situation ?.The Ministry of renewable energy is giving a grant of Rs1.5 lakh per kilowatt for installing a wind-solar hybrid power plant to educational institutions .How many of them have utilised this subsidy is another moot point !This grant should be extended to small industries also .Experts say a 100 KW hybrid power plant can be installed at a cost of Rs 1.6 crores .A sizable portion of the initial capital can be funded by the government.Encouraging more and more private participation in power generation is required until we reach self sufficiency in power generation.Not allowing nuclear energy plants ready for commissioning to function on perceived dangers is ludicrous.No one is disputing the potential hazard of a nuclear plant.A firm decision can be taken on the future of nuclear power plants in the country and steps needed to ensure safety of existing nuclear plants .Why should the government dilly dally taking a firm decision on this ?
The entire country except few power surplus states are likely to face the hardships of a severe power shortage this summer. The power cuts would surely bring in its wake a host of cascading issues like closure of small industries,lay offs,unemployment and untold miseries to students,house wives,and elders.Some drastic and out of the world steps are required to make the ailing electricity boards of the country turn the corner.Simultaneously a draft plan on future power demands for the next decade should be drawn to enhance power generation capacity in excess of peak demand .
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