No solace to power problem in Maharashtra till 2012: survey

Mumbai, Mar 18 (UNI) Reeling under severe power supply strain with a peak demand deficit of over 4000 MW, Maharashtra sees no ray of hope in tiding over the electricity crunch till 2012.

With load shedding a regular phenomenon, predominantly in rural areas, the State added not even a single Megawatt of power this fiscal and only 348 MW in the previous fiscal, that to through the non conventional route.

With a capacity of 17,984 MW, from all sources, including solar, wind, captive and co-generation, the State has firmed up an additional capacity of 16,906 mw to be taken up during the eleventh plan. This included 10,249 mw from the central sector.

The economic survey of Maharashtra 2007-08, released in the State Assembly, expressed serious concern over the widening gap between demand and supply and said the government had taken up a number of steps for capacity addition and modernisation of existing infrastructure for transmission and distribution.

Referring to the privatisation of electricity generation, the economic survey listed out various projects taken up by the private sector with eight companies signing MoU with the state for an additional capacity generation of 12,500 MW. It said these companies have initiated works with regard these projects. However, the progress seems to be very slow and needed to be closely monitored.

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