Power Crisis Hits Barak Valley

Silchar, Jan 8 : The Barak Valley, comprising Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi districts, is reeling under an acute power crisis of late, compounding woes of the people who are already bogged down by problems like bad roads, poor train connectivity and price-rise.

The situation is so bad that a meager 21MW was allotted to the three districts yesterday against a peak load demand of 60MW. Load shedding has become a regular suffering.

As a result, many business establishments, like small shops without generators, hospitals and nursing homes, printing presses and tea garden factories are facing a major crisis.

S. Dasgupta, the deputy general manager of Central Assam Electricity Distribution Company Ltd, today said reduction in power supply through the North Eastern Electricity Grid since early last month had led to the dearth of power in the valley districts.

He also said the two gas-based thermal power units in Barak Valley were generating power at reduced rates because of dearth of natural gas, as ONGC had failed to supply the requisite amount of gas to the units.

Dasgupta attributed the current crisis to the low generation of electricity by the hydropower stations of the region and the three thermal power stations in Upper Assam.

The hydropower stations are generating less power because of reduced rainfall, he said, adding that while the two thermal units at Lakwa, having a peak generating capacity of 120MW each, were currently producing only 40MW, the other 240MW unit at Kathalguri was producing only 50MW.