By IANS
Pune : It’s going to be a tough summer for Pune residents who have virtually enjoyed uninterrupted power supply since 2006. From next week, the city will be subjected to three-hour power cuts every day.
With the power shortfall reaching a whopping 350 mega units on an annual basis, the Maharashtra State Electric Distribution Company Ltd (MSEDCL) has to let go of the Pune model of uninterrupted power supply. The power outages will begin April 5.
While the official schedule for power outages is not out, according to Chandrakant Gaurav, an MSEDCL official: “There will be three hours of power cuts every day sometime in the peak hours which are from 6 a.m. to 10 a.m. and 6 p.m. to 10 p.m.”
Most of the brunt will have to be borne by the industries of the city.
According to Ranjeet Shrikant, who owns a cyber café in the city: “Morning and evening hours are when business is good. With load shedding during those times, we will be hit really hard.”
However, Pradeep Bhargawa, chairman of the Confederation of Indian Industry’s (CII) Maharashtra wing, has not lost hope.
“Since power is available from elsewhere, we are trying our best to establish a franchisee system within the next couple of days,” Bhargawa told IANS.
The franchisee system essentially means sourcing additional power through companies licensed by the government to buy power. Under the system, a power purchase agreement (PPA) will have to be worked out by the franchisee company and MSEDCL.
After the establishment of franchisees, the cost of power will have to be worked with the Maharashtra Electric Regulatory Commission (MERC), which according sources should be anything between Rs.12 and Rs.15 per unit. Businesses in the city are prepared to pay higher prices for power rather than face long hours of power cuts.
MERC has been following the Pune model since June 2006 to meet the power deficit in the city, promising uninterrupted power supply. Under it, some 30 industrial units of CII used their captive power plants (CPP) to generate electricity for which Pune residents had to pay 42 paise per unit.
However, an increase in industrial activity and rise in population has increased the demand-supply gap for power. The CPPs are unable to meet this increase in demand therefore leaving the MSEDCL no other option but to let go of the Pune model.
Individual households too are nervous about long hours of power cuts and rising utility expenses. The city has a five million population.