Coal Shortage Deepens Punjab Power Crisis as Generation Falls by 1,500 MW, Minister Says

A severe coal shortage has deepened Punjab’s power crisis, with generation in the state falling by about 1,500 MW, Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond said Saturday.

Sond said reduced coal supplies had affected the Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal plants. The resulting shortages have led to power cuts in domestic and industrial sectors over the past two to three days.

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Due to the severe coal shortage in the country, power generation in Punjab has declined by around 1,500 MW. For the past two to three days, the state has been facing a shortage of electricity, due to which power cuts are being imposed in the domestic and industrial sectors out of compulsion.

“Due to the severe coal shortage in the country, power generation in Punjab has declined by around 1,500 MW,” Sond said in a video message. He added that about 63 GW of power supply across India had been affected and that several thermal plants had only three to four days of coal stocks left, forcing them to run at around half capacity.

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The Centre has not been able to ensure full supply of coal. These two major thermal plants are currently being forced to operate at around half their capacity, which has further aggravated the power shortage and impacted Punjab’s power system.

Private thermal plants in Punjab face the same pressure, Sond said. Plants supplied with coal by the Punjab government still have about 10 days of stock, which he attributed to the state’s efforts. However, Nabha Power Limited in Rajpura and the Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant in Mansa rely on coal supplied by the central government and are operating at roughly half capacity because full deliveries have not been secured.

“This is a very serious issue which is affecting the entire country,” Sond said. He called on the central government to explain how long it would take to overcome the shortage and ensure uninterrupted electricity for households and industries.

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This is a very serious issue which is affecting the entire country. The central government should break its silence on this matter and clearly inform the people of the country as to how long it will take to overcome this shortage of coal, so that uninterrupted power supply can be provided to the general public and industries.