BSEB buying electricity to tide over power crisis in Bihar

Patna, Sept 6 (UNI) The Bihar State Electricity Board (BSEB) is purchasing about 70 to 80 MW of power daily at higher rates to meet deficit precipitated recently in the state.

BSEB sources here today said the state was facing one of the worst power crises due to shut down of National Thermal Power Corporation unit at Talcher for annual repairing, which was causing a deficit of 165 MW daily. A second unit would also be closed for another 25 days for the same reason and the power crisis would further go up, the sources said.

The state needs some 1,500 MW electricity during peak hours as against the current generation of about 910 MW. Apart from the crisis, the Board had to spare at least 60 to 80 MW power to the Indian Railways and 50 to 60 MW to the border areas of the state.

To meet the crisis, the Board was purchasing electricity from other states at a rate of Rs four per unit, the sources said adding that the situation would have improved but the units in Kanti Thermal Power and Barauni Thermal Power were still not generating electricity. These power units of both the places, which were closed for modernisation and ugradation, were sheduled to generate power by this summer.

The sources, hoped that the situation was likely to improve by October.

UNI