Thaindian News

Mumbai, Oct 12 (IANS) Even as Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan Wednesday described the ongoing power crisis in the state due to non-availability of coal as a “national issue”, the government targeted the agriculture sector with a weekly ‘no power day’ starting Thursday.

Besides the weekly ‘no power day’, the agriculture sector will face a 16-hour power cut the remaining six days in the week until the situation improves.

The weekly ‘power holiday’ will be implemented on different days of the week in different districts to conserve power and use it for more urgent and domestic requirements as the state reels under the October heat.

Terming the power crisis and shortage of coal due to the ongoing Telangana agitation as a “national issue”, Chavan said the government was doing “everything possible” to reduce the hardship of the common man.

“I am in touch with the union power minister (Sushilkumar Shinde) as well as the coal minister (Sriprakash Jaiswal) at the centre,” he said, adding that he has been personally monitoring and reviewing the situation constantly.

The chief minister, while speaking with media-persons in the evening, also appealed to the people to maintain restraint in the face of the crisis and not resort to violence.

Deputy Chief Minister Ajit Pawar, who holds the energy portfolio, rushed to New Delhi Wednesday evening to discuss the state power crisis - which comes barely a fortnight before Diwali - with Shinde and other central officials.

“Owing to the floods in Orissa, coal available from Mahanadi coal mines has become wet, resulting in shortage. This has directly hit power generation operations at thermal power stations like Koradi, Chandrapur, Paras and Khaparkheda power plants in the state,” Chavan said.

Similarly, the Telangana crisis has hit coal supplies from Singareni coal mines in Andhra Pradesh, adding to the serious situation.

Chavan said that other states were drawing more electricity than their allotted share from the central pool which is has added to the crisis in the state.

Since this week, the electricity authorities have implemented load-shedding ranging from 3-7 hours in urban centres and 11-13 hours in urban areas, besides 16-hours for industries from Wednesday, and the agricultural sector from Thursday, spelling misery for the people.