The situation in Delhi is “critical”, chief minister Arvind Kejriwal said on Monday claiming the threat of blackout looms large due to the acute shortage of coal in thermal power plants. “We all are working together to improve the situation,” the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader also said, according to news agency.
“Many chief ministers have written about it to the central government,” the chief minister Kejriwal also said.
Despite the concerns flagged by various state government, the Centre has maintained that there is enough supply of coal for thermal plants in the country. “There is no need for panic as there is no power crisis,” Union power minister RK Singh said on Sunday.
Kejriwal’s statement comes a day after Delhi’s power minister Satyendar Jain said that most of the power plants supplying electricity to the national capital are left with only two to three days of coal stock. He also said that National Thermal Power Corporation Limited (NTPC) has capped the production capacity of its plants to 55 per cent. “There is a coal shortage in most of the power plants. The stock of coal in any power plant should not be less than 15 days,” said Jain at a press conference. “The stock is left for only two to three days,” he added.
“There is a huge problem with coal right now,” Jain stressed.
On Sunday, the officials of Delhi’s power ministry, BSES and Tata power reached the residence of the Union Power Minister for a meeting over coal shortage at power plants.