Key facts
- India is facing widespread blackouts due to low coal stockpiles at power stations.
- Reduced monsoon rainfall has impacted hydropower output, increasing reliance on coal.
- Hotter weather has boosted demand for electricity for air conditioning and irrigation.
- Punjab is experiencing power cuts of up to 14 hours, affecting industries, agriculture, and homes.
- Several power plants in Punjab have critically low coal reserves, with some having only 3-4 days of stock.
- Industrial production in Punjab has been significantly disrupted, leading to the use of expensive diesel generators.
India is grappling with severe power shortages, leading to extensive blackouts across homes and industries, driven by a critical depletion of coal reserves at power stations. The situation is compounded by a weaker-than-usual monsoon, which has reduced hydropower generation, and unseasonably hot weather that has increased demand for electricity for cooling and irrigation.
In Punjab, the crisis has escalated to power cuts lasting as long as 12 to 14 hours in some areas. What began as four-hour scheduled cuts for industrial consumers has now intensified, impacting domestic users with unscheduled outages of four to five hours daily. The state's peak power demand has surged to over 16,500 MW, a significant increase from the previous year. Power generation has been hampered by coal shortages and technical issues at several plants, rendering nearly 1,915 MW of capacity unavailable. Punjab is consequently drawing over 11,000 MW from the northern grid.
Coal stocks at some private plants in Punjab, including Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo, are critically low, falling well below the recommended 20-day buffer. While government plants have better reserves, the overall supply remains under pressure. Punjab's Power Minister, Tarunpreet Singh Sondh, has attributed the crisis to a national coal shortage, noting that many private power plants across India are operating at half capacity with limited coal. He stated that efforts are underway to restore two units at the Nabha and Talwandi Sabo plants within 24 to 48 hours.
The prolonged outages are severely impacting Punjab's industrial sector. Manufacturers are reporting production halts and resorting to expensive diesel generators, which significantly increase operating costs and affect delivery schedules. Metal units in Mohali, for instance, have been left without power, leading to idle workers and production disruptions. Frustration over the power cuts has also led to protests, with residents in Jalandhar blocking traffic and voicing their anger against the state government and the power corporation.
The agricultural sector is also under strain, particularly in Moga, where paddy crops require urgent irrigation. Farmer unions have organized protests and road blockades to highlight the impact of the power crisis on their crops.