Coimbatore industries experienced the first day of the power holiday system introduced by the TANGEDCO today. Industrialists fear that the system would only compound the problems they face as the cumulative power cut they would have to endure would top 70 per cent.
In an interview to Business Line , Mr Mahendra Ramdas, President, Tamil Nadu Electricity Consumers Association (TECA), Coimbatore, felt that TANGEDCO could have "devised a more equitable way of sharing" power shortage among various consumers, taking into consideration that HT consumers contribute only to 800 MW load, whereas the shortage is 3,000 MW to 4,000 MW.
"Power holiday is bound to fail", he said, as "it cannot be enforced".
Explaining the impact on the continuous process industries in the region, he said considering the 8 to 9 power holidays in a month, peak hour restriction and 40 per cent cut on maximum demand and 4 hours scheduled power cut, the total power cut to all HT consumers came to 72 per cent.
For the continuous process industry, whose needs are higher to operate their furnaces, the difficulties will be more, as they will be permitted to work only for 11 to 12 days (in a month).
Even in January, when the situation was better, the production loss was about 40 per cent. But after the new measures were introduced, HT consumers can work about 48 hours only per week, hence the production loss is likely to be over 75 per cent. Genset is not an option to many HT consumers due to high operating cost.
Mr Ramdas feared that the workers may have to be laid off because of power holidays, more so in the continuous process industry, as DG sets cannot be used but its severity may vary according to sectors.
Efforts regarding establishment of a power plant by industries here are still on. It is likely to gather momentum if the power shortage continues. The spinning sector has been already hit, as business has been diverted to other States, where power and other factors are favourable. Auto components and foundry segments will also lose out to competition from other States.
On whether he felt that the Government should yield to the demand of Tirupur exporters for exemption (from power holiday), he said, "our stand has been that all consumers should share the power shortage equally".
Allow third party power purchase
Mr Ramdas, who is the Managing Director of Mahendra Pumps Pvt Ltd, was also piqued by the refusal of TANGEDCO to permit third party sourcing of power by the HT consumers on days of power holidays. Expressing readiness of HT consumers to cooperate with TANGEDCO to tide over the power crisis, he said due to power cut and power holidays, HT consumers want to purchase power from third parties or through power exchanges.
But TANGEDCO has said that HT consumers were permitted to purchase third party/exchange power daily during day time peak hours and night off-peak hours barring "power holidays and load shedding period". The HT consumers are allowed to wheel energy from wind mill/CPP during day time peak hours and night off peak hours "except power holidays and load shedding period".
He appealed to the Chief Minister to direct TANGEDCO to allow HT consumers to buy third party power during power holidays and load shedding period too.