Following a review meeting of the Ministry of Power on Thursday morning, Union Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde said it could take seven to eight months before Delhi tides over the current power crisis.

“The crisis will continue for the next seven to eight months. Delhi will be a power surplus state after the forthcoming Commonwealth Games,” Shinde said.

This will happen only when various power projects are commissioned in 2010 in anticipation of the Games. “The commissioning of electricity generating projects including Dadri, Jhajjar and Pragati is planned before the Games,” he said.

Much of Delhi’s power woes now stem from the fact that the Capital’s own generation is dismal at best. Wednesday recorded a peak demand of 4,408 MW. But on a good day, the Capital’s four power plants generate 1,250 MW. Of the four plants, the 247.5 MW thermal-based Indraprastha plant is set to be phased out by 2009-end.

To meet the rest of the demand, the Capital depends on power from the central sector generating units and the various Power Purchase Agreements (PPAs) and banking agreements signed by discoms.

“The need of the hour is to reduce this dependency on other states for power and start Delhi’s own generation,” a senior power department official told Newsline. “Plans are underway to that end and by October 2010, various power projects will begin generation.”

Heading the list of projects is the 1,500 MW gas-based Pragati-III plant at Bawana.

In a Power department review held in the last week of May, Chief Minister Sheila Dikshit announced that one gas-based 250 MW unit of the plant will begin operation in March 2010, followed by two more 250 MW units which would start operation in May 2010 and July 2010.

... contd.