Power supply on rotation basis sought for industries

With industries in Manesar and Dharureha reeling under long power cuts and many of them turning to diesel generator sets to run operations, a team of Dakshin Haryana Bijli Vitran Nigam (DHBVN) wrote to the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC) asking for rotation of power supply in the industrial area. Officials said they will get clarity on the power rotation plan by next week.

Industry owners of Manesar are facing long power cuts for over a month now, resulting in production and supply loss. Members of the Industrial Model Township (IMT) Manesar Industrial Association on Thursday also met Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar and apprised him of their situation. Officials of the power department, however, said the situation is likely to improve by only next month.

The DHBVN will have two additional 33KV substations in Gurugram this summer to strengthen the power supply to industries in Binola, Manesar and other rural areas and ease the pressure on the existing sub-stations of Haryana Vidyut Prasaran Nigam (HVPN), said officials.

Ranjan Rao, executive engineer of DHBVN, Manesar, said they had written to the SLDC for rotation of power supply, which will ensure at least four hours of uninterrupted power supply, in different phases, to all the industries in the industrial area. “The situation will improve once the rotation of power supply starts in the area. The two power sub-stations coming up at Manesar and Bhorakalan will help decrease breakdowns, fault lines and improve quality of power supply by end of April,” said Rao.

Superintending engineer of DHBVN (Gurugram-I) Manoj Yadav said, “The power supply will improve within a month. Until then, we will chalk out a plan of uninterrupted power supply to industries in phases so that their production is not hit,” said Yadav adding they are trying to buy more electricity from the power exchange to ensure better supply.

Yadav said due to the shortfall in power supply, Gurugram is facing power cuts. Industries specifically have suffered a lot due to this crisis.

Shalini Baweja, an industrialist in Sector 5, IMT Manesar, whose firm manufactures tubs and cups for ice creams said now is the peak production time and that they have not been able to deliver products for over a month due to the frequent power cuts. She said if they get power supply for at least eight hours a day, they can manage to run operations, else they will have to close down and ask employees to join work after the situation improves.

“Power on rotation basis is a good step by the department and they should start it at the earliest so that we do not incur huge losses,” she said.