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The power situation in Andhra Pradesh continued to be grim with production at NTPC's Ramagundam power station affected due to non-availability of adequate coal for the seventh day on Monday in the wake of the on-going indefinite agitation launched by pro-Telangana activists.
The 2,600-MW thermal power unit could, however, get additional stocks of about 16,000 tonnes from Mahanadi Coalfields and South Eastern Coal Fields today, enabling it to produce 1950 MW. The State could also get some power from NTPC's Simhadri unit, which recently added 500 MW capacity.
“We are trying to source coal from other States. It is not that we can hold large stocks of coal—the supplies are on a day to day basis,” a NTPC official told Business Line .
Singareni Collieries Co Ltd, which is the major supplier of coal to NTPC's Ramagundam station and other plants in the State, could hardly produce coal, as almost its entire workforce of 60,000 striking work. The company saw a thin attendance today.
Apart from NTPC, APGenco's plants in the State also were paralysed.
The State could get some relief as Coal India Ltd made arrangements to despatch additional stocks to NTPC. Also, the Southern Power Grid came to the aid of the State by allowing it to overdraw power from the grid. The APTransco can overdraw from the grid only when line frequency is over 49.7 cycles per second. It plans to overdraw up to 500- 800 MW depending on the gravity of the power situation.
APTransco could get some 500 MW from other State, apart from 125 MW from the central generating station. It continues to observe put cuts for two hours at mandal headquarters, one hour in district headquarters and four hours in villages.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister, Mr N Kiran Kumar Reddy, constituted a power task force, with the Principal Secretary (Energy) and managing directors of SCCL, APTransco and APGenco, to coordinate coal and gas allotments.
Task force
The task force will also be initiating measures for power purchases from other States. The Chief Minister has however directed that the seven hours of free power supply to farmers be continued uninterrupted at all costs.
The Chief Minister has also initiated talks with the Centre and the Chief Minister of Haryana for additional supply of coal and power to the State.
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