Punjab power situation improves at water in dams rises

Patiala, Aug 10 (UNI) Due to heavy rainfall in some parts of the Northern region, the level of the reservoirs of Bhakra, Pong and Ranjit Sagar dams has gone up resulting in increased hydel power generation and improved supply of electricity.

The rainfall has also resulted in decrease in demand of power in Punjab as well as other states.

Giving details of the reservoir levels, Punjab State Electricity Board (PSEB) Chairman Y S Ratra said that the Bhakra reservoir level yesterday had increased to 1655.22 ft as against 1617.50 ft on the same day last year.

Similarly levels of Pong and Ranjit Sagar dam have also increased to 1368.43 ft and 517.63 meters, higher than last year levels of 1340.93 ft and 512.22 meters respectively.

Mr Ratra said that BBMB had increased the discharge of water from Pong Dam to 14,000 cusecs which has increased the share of Punjab from generation at Pong from 11 Lakh Units (LUs) to 17 LUs.

Mr Ratra further informed that in addition to 24 LUs already being received from outside the state, PSEB has started receiving additional 12 LUs from Madhya Pradesh. Due to comfortable supply position in the State, Board has withdrawn second weekly off day on Induction Furnaces and Steel Rolling Mills and 12 hour additional cuts on category-II feeders for Saturdays and Sundays.

Apart from this, extended peak load restrictions of 4 hours on category-IV feeders (Continuous process industries) had also been withdrawn. He also informed that no power cuts had been imposed on any category of consumers all over the state for the last five days.

Mr Ratra hoped that with the normal rainfall and the best efforts of Board Management to arrange more power, electricity consumers in Punjab would not face longer power cuts. Chairman also appealed to consumers to replace GLS (Bulbs) with CFLs and reduce their power bills.

UNI XC-HS JS1742