Power pangs

Ranchi, April 17: Maoist terror has now gripped the state’s premier thermal power generating unit, Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited (TVNL).

Over the past 24 hours, coal supplies at the TVNL plant in Lalpania have remained completely disrupted, as transporters pulled their trucks off the roads in the wake of a two-day statewide economic blockade called by the CPI(Maoist) that ended today.

The bandh was called to enforce a boycott of the first phase of polls in six Lok Sabha constituencies on April 16.

Eight people, including six BSF jawans, were killed in a landmine blast in Latehar, which added to the situation. Shops and markets across Gumla, Lohardaga, Chatra and Latehar downed their shutters and the state and national highways remained mostly deserted, except for the movement of poll personnel and paramilitary forces.

Over the past two days, supply of coal to TVNL remained stagnant at 1,000 tonnes. On an average, TVNL requires 6,500 tonnes of coal every day. However, with dwindling supply, almost all the stock has now been used up, TVNL general manager S.P. Choudhury told The Telegraph.“In the past 17 days, there have been four bandhs — all called by the extremist groups. The last four days have seen irregular supply of coal as transporters are fearing rebel action,” the general manager added.

Moreover, to meet the demands of the general elections, officials of various districts, from where coal is supplied and transported, have been seizing trucks and coal dumpers for poll duty, which is leading to further disruption of coal supplies, he said.

“We are thus forced to run only one unit, which is currently generating 170MW. We expect normality to return only by tomorrow,” Choudhury said.

Most parts of the state continued to reel under constant blackouts for the third day today. Figures released by eastern load despatch centre indicated that total power generation in the state was stagnant at 310MW with another 270MW being drawn from the eastern grid. However, there was a net shortfall of over 250MW. Jharkhand State Electricity Board enforced blackouts in phases throughout its command areas.

Power officials said that the Maoist bandh had also hampered the supply of coal from various collieries of Central Coalfields Limited to the Patratu Thermal Power Station located in the Ramgarh district.

Even transportation of bauxite from the Lohardaga mines to Hindusthan Aluminium plants at Muri in the Ranchi district and to Renukoot at Sonebhadra in Uttar Pradesh has been disrupted.