Delhi Warns Of Power Outage For Metro, Hospitals Due To Coal Shortage
Amid a deepening crisis in coal shortage, the Delhi government has warned of a possible setback in providing uninterrupted electricity supply to important establishments in the capital, including Metro trains and hospitals.
Delhi Power Minister Satyendar Jain held an emergency meeting to assess the situation and wrote to the Centre requesting it to ensure adequate coal availability to power plants that supply electricity to the national capital.
“Due to disruption of power supply from Dadri-II and Unchahar power stations, there may be a problem in 24-hours power supply to many essential institutions, including Delhi Metro and Delhi government hospitals,” a government statement read.
Presently, 25-30 per cent of the electricity demand in Delhi is being met through these power stations, and they face a shortage of coal, Mr Jain said.
He said the government was monitoring the situation closely and making every possible effort to ensure that people did not face power outages in some areas of the capital.
“These power stations play an important role in preventing blackouts in some parts of Delhi and are also essential to ensure the continuous supply of electricity to Delhi Metro Rail Corporation, hospitals and people in the upcoming summer season,” the minister said.
National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC)’s Dadri-II and Jhajjar (Aravali) were established primarily to meet the power requirement in Delhi. However, there is very little stock of coal left even in these power plants, the statement further said