Bhopal, Oct 15 (IANS) Madhya Pradesh is expected to get an additional 3,000 to 4,000 MW of electricity from next week, potentially easing the ongoing power shortage caused by a sharp rise in demand and reduced generation, Energy Minister Pradyuman Singh Tomar said on Thursday.
The state’s peak electricity demand has increased by around 5,000 MW in a year, reaching 17,124 MW on October 14 against 11,874 MW on the corresponding date last year. The surge comes amid increased demand for agricultural irrigation following deficient rainfall in some parts of the state.
Tomar said generating units at Khandwa and Birsinghpur had resumed operations after maintenance, adding around 1,000 MW to power availability.
Another 600 MW is expected from Lanco Power and NTPC Gadarwara by October 20, while generating units with a combined capacity of around 1,200 MW that were shut down due to technical problems are expected to restart within one to two days.
“Compared with last year, Madhya Pradesh supplied 38.6 per cent more electricity on October 14. The supply increased from 2,423 lakh units to 3,310 lakh units,” the minister said, adding that 500 MW of banked power would also become available from October 16.
Agricultural power demand more than doubled to 3,701 MW on October 1 this year from 1,752 MW on the same date last year. Tomar attributed the increase to higher requirements for paddy irrigation and pre-sowing irrigation, particularly in areas that received less rainfall.
The supply situation has also been affected by a decline of around 1,500 MW in hydropower generation from the Gandhi Sagar, Omkareshwar, Indira Sagar, Rajghat and Sardar Sarovar projects due to reduced rainfall. Technical problems at thermal power plants have affected another 1,000 MW of generation, while coal shortages and the tripping of generating units have further constrained availability.
The minister said electricity was in short supply on the Indian Energy Exchange as well. On October 13, bids to purchase around 70,000 MW were placed during peak hours, while sellers offered only around 500 MW, with the available power priced at Rs 10 per unit.
The state is procuring 500 MW from Uttar Pradesh during peak hours and attempting to purchase additional electricity through the exchange.
For the rabi season, it has also arranged advance power banking of around 3,825 million units, 225 million units more than last year’s 3,600 million units. The arrangement is expected to provide between 407 MW and 3,900 MW of electricity from November 1, 2026, to March 10, 2027.
Meanwhile, the power situation has triggered a political attack from the Congress, which accused the BJP government of failing to make adequate preparations ahead of the agricultural season.
State Congress president Jitu Patwari alleged that farmers in several districts were facing undeclared power cuts and, in some areas, receiving only two to four hours of electricity against the promised 10 hours.
“Farmers in Madhya Pradesh are waiting for electricity to irrigate their fields. Undeclared power cuts in many districts have left citizens distressed. In some places, farmers’ anger is spilling onto the roads, while in others, electricity offices are being locked,” Patwari said.
He demanded a time-bound plan to end unscheduled cuts, immediate arrangements for additional power, monitoring of supply in affected districts and accountability for officials responsible for disruptions.
“Why were no concrete preparations made to ensure electricity availability before the rabi sowing season? The government must immediately ensure 10 hours of power supply to farmers,” Patwari asked.
–IANS
pd/dan
