Punjab power crisis: Coal shortage deepens power crisis, general drops by 1,500 MW , says Minister Sond

PTC News Desk: Power cuts have increased in Punjab over the past three days, with the situation becoming concerning amid the shortage. State Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund also released a video addressing the issue. He said Punjab was being forced to impose power cuts in domestic and industrial areas because of a shortage of coal across the country.

Around 63 GW of thermal power capacity across India has been directly affected by the coal shortage. Most private power plants reportedly have only three to four days of coal stock left and are being forced to operate at around half their capacity.

Giving details about Punjab’s major private thermal power plants, Saund said Nabha Power Limited in Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo Power Plant in Mansa depend entirely on coal supplied by the Centre. Due to inadequate coal supplies, both plants are currently generating electricity at only about 50% of their capacity.

However, the minister said there was some relief as thermal plants that receive coal directly from the Punjab government still have around 10 days of stock available.

Minister Tarunpreet Singh Saund urged the Central Government to intervene immediately and break its silence on the issue. He said the Centre should explain to the people of Punjab and the rest of the country how long it would take to resolve the national coal shortage and restore uninterrupted power supply to households and industries.

Power generation falls by 1,500 MW

Saund said the nationwide coal shortage has worsened the power situation in Punjab, reducing electricity generation in the state by around 1,500 MW.

Calling the issue serious, he said the Centre must take immediate and concrete steps to address the shortage. He urged the government to resolve the coal supply problem as soon as possible so that uninterrupted electricity can be provided to households and industries across Punjab.