Ranchi, May 10: The Tenughat Vidyut Nigam Limited (TVNL) today sounded a warning, claiming that with no funds at its disposal to pay for coal purchases, it would have no other option than shutting shop in the next ten days.

This came as a blow even as the state was limping back to normal after last night?s total grid collapse.

?We do not have the money to either pay for coal or for spares. Our lone customer, the Jharkhand State Electricity Board (JSEB), which buys our entire production, has not paid a single penny out of its total dues ? now standing at Rs 370 crore. Coal supply by the Central Coalfields Limited (CCL) has also stopped since April 13 after we failed to pay up. It is natural that our plants would automatically shut down,? TVNL advisor Basudeo Prasad told The Telegraph.

Present coal stocks at TVNL was expected to last not more than 10 days with an average consumption of 3,000 metric tonnes per day. Dues for coal supplies by CCL now stand at Rs 55 crore. CCL has now warned that it would not resume supplies till its dues were met in full.

To add to the problem, Prasad pointed out that the summer months were the best time to stock on coal supplies ahead of the monsoons. However, with TVNL now surviving on its past stocks and no new stocks pouring in, a disaster awaits us, he warned.

Meanwhile, with the temperature touching 40 degrees, large parts of the state virtually went without power after last night?s grid collapse disrupted power generation throughout the state.

JSEB board member, generation, K.P. Sinha told The Telegraph that a fire at a potential transformer at Patratu Thermal Power Station (PTPS) had resulted in a massive jerk which triggered off a complete grid collapse. Both the two generating units at PTPS and TVNL were thrown out of gear as a result of the fault.

Sinha said that two units at PTPS have now been re-commissioned while work was going on to bring the third unit on line. He added that normal power supply was expected by late tonight.

TVNL advisor, technical, Basudeo Prasad, said the lone TVNL unit has been lighted up though he added that absolute synchronisation was likely to take quite some time.

Though efforts were made to ensure continuous power to the state capital, other districts of Gumla, Lohardaga, Palamau and Santhal Parganas were made to bear incessant power cuts throughout the day today.

The power cuts resulted in a severe drinking water crisis as most deep tube-wells and tap water supplies were disrupted for want of power at the pumping stations.

At Gumla, water was being sold for anything between Rs 5 to Rs 8 a bucket. Drinking water officials said with power supplies restricted to less than half-an-hour at a stretch, they were unable to operate pumps.

In neighbouring Lohardaga, people of most localities locked tube-wells in their respective localities and restricted operations to two times a day in the morning and in the evening. Residents said with water tables falling rapidly, rationing was the only option.