SRINAGAR: The Upper Sind Stage-II power house in Kangan area, which was closed for repair and maintenance more than two months back is being made operational from Wednesday. With this the power situation jn the Valley is likely to improve. However, the delay in making the power house operational has cost the state exchequer the loss of approximately 50 crore rupees.
State Power Development Corporation (SPDC) run power house which generates 105 MW of electricity during summers was completely shut down for 40 days in September, 2015 for repair and maintenance of machines. However maintenance work got delayed and the SPDC first sought 14 days extension, but later extended it for an unspecified period, sources in the corporation said.
Officials now say they had actually sought two months for repair work but admit even that period was extended.
Admitting the delay they say de-silting of canal was not completed on time and hence the extension.
Sources however said that insensitive nature of officials there caused loss of Rs 50 crore to the state exchequer and deprived vast areas of the valley of electricity when it is needed most.
The power house generates 35 Megawatts of electricity during winters since the discharge is low in the season. The state purchases electricity from the Northern Grid at the rate of Rs 4 per unit. If we purchase 35 MWs of power from Northern Grid for 14 days to compensate for the loss we suffer due to delay in execution of Upper Sindh-II we pay Rs 50 Crore to the outside supplier, well placed sources in the PDC said.
Repeated attempts to reach, Dheerj Gupta, Commissioner Secretary Power failed as all phone calls to his office went unanswered. Gupta also holds additional charge of Managing Director PDC.
However Muzaffar Ahmad Mattu, Chief Engineer (Generation) of PDC admitted the delay in repair work.
The civil wing of our department had been given two months time to repair the Kangan-Sindh Grade-II power house from September to November of this year. But, due to various problems the repair work took more than two months time for which we had already sought permission from the state government, Mattu told Kashmir Observer.
Inshallah by tomorrow (Wednesday) we will operate this power house for people.
When asked about the losses suffered by the State due to delay, all he said was: This happens.
Sewa-II Shut for 20 days
State-run NHPC today said its 120 MW Sewa-ll Power Station in Jammu and Kashmir has been completely shut down for about 20 days due to annual maintenance of machines.
“Sewa-ll Power Station (120 MW) in Jammu & Kashmir has been completely shut down for attending annual maintenance of machines/MIVs for about 20 days w.E.F. December 7, 2015,” the company said in a filing to the BSE.
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