The power crisis in Jammu and Kashmir has worsened as the Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited (SJVNL) — a joint venture between the Centre and the Himachal Pradesh Government — has suspended supply of 105 MW to the state due to non-payment of past bills.
The SJVNL, which is one of the multiple suppliers of electricity to the state, issued a notice earlier this month announcing 100 per cent regulation of supply to the Power Development Department (PDD) of Jammu and Kashmir.
The regulation, which is in effect for the duration of six months from December 1 to May 31 next year, comes at a time when a harsh winter is approaching and the power supply to consumers in J&K is already erratic and frequently disrupted by lengthy curtailments.
In its notice, the SJVNL said it had regulated the power supplied to the state from the company’s Nathpa Jhakri Hydropower Station on the authority of the CERC regulation. The regulation 10, which the SJVNL has invoked, authorises the suspension of power supply to the regulated entity which has defaulted in making payment to the generating company and transmission licensee.
According to the bills made available by the SJVNL on its website, the state is in debt of Rs 245.08 crore, the amount that is incurring late payment surcharges as on December 3, and an additional Rs 15.54 crore bill for the month of November.
Officials of the state’s PDD remained tight-lipped about the suspension of the power supply by the SJVNL. However, an official of the SJVNL confirmed to that the regulation has been implemented.
The impact of the SJVNL regulation on the state’s power requirement is unclear. However, the demand in the state during the ongoing winter has reached 1,600 MW against the formerly available supply of 1,200 MW.
The state government, which is facing a financial crisis, has been unable to pay the bills of various power supplying companies and the debt has mounted to approximately Rs 5,000 crore, according to sources in the power sector. In March this year, the state government had declared the power purchase liability of Rs 6,266.13 crore.
The sources said the largest share of the state’’s outstanding power purchase bills belonged to two major companies — NHPC and NTPC — and amounted to nearly Rs 3,000 crore. If any one of the two companies decided to regulate the supply, it would create an unprecedented crisis for the state, the sources said.
Jammu and Kashmir has an estimated hydel potential to generate 20,000 MW, out of which projects of about 16,200-MW capacity have been identified, but the state currently has an installed capacity to generate a mere 969.96 MW. The state, however, produces only 18 per cent of the power it consumes annually and has a “huge gap” in revenue receipts and the incurred expenditure.
Power crisis worsens as SJVNL stops supply to J&K
