In order to ensure load shedding free festival of Durga Puja across Tripura, the Power department and the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) has made elaborate arrangements to illuminate the state till Laxmi Puja and Diwali festival.

Addressing a press conference at Pragna Bhavan on Friday afternoon, Power Minister Ratan Lal Nath accompanied by secretary of power department Managing Director of TSECL, Debasis Sarkar after a review meeting with all concerned officials to ensure zero-disturbance power supply during Puja days, Nath said that the department and TSECL has taken elaborate arrangements for seamless power supply and department has also made arrangement to supply power by considering peak hour demand of about 380 MW.

He said that during Durga Puja in 2021, highest demand stood at 326.60 MW on ‘Maha Saptami’ day and in the year 2022 on ‘Maha Panchami’ day , the demand stood at 332.70 MW.

On June 7th, 2023, the state  recorded highest ever power consumption in peak hours in a single day, which has forced the Power department to procure high rate power from other states of the country to maintain the normal supply without load shedding and  breaking all previous records of highest power consumption in a single day, it has recorded consumption of 357.4 MW in peak hours.

So, this year, the department is now ready to supply at about 380 MW power during peak hours of puja days, said Nath.

He said that TSECL employees are working round the clock to ensure hassle free power supply during puja days. Even TSECL will stop all kinds of leaves for its employees to maintain services at par with requirements.

Nath said that all measures including adequate stock of transformers has been kept ready in many places including stock of 346 electric transformers at the central store. He hoped that soon the third unit of Rukhia power plant will start generating power after resolving some problems and the Power minister along with secretary of the department will visit New Delhi on October 5th to resolve the issue during a meeting with the Union Power Minister.

Nath added that he will attend meetings with all District Magistrates (DMs) and SPs and authorities of Civic bodies to ensure zero disturbance of power supply during puja days and authorities will also attend separate meetings with clubs and organizations.

He appealed to all community puja organizers to maintain their load bearing capacity and should inform the TSECL authorities over the load capacity properly for seamless power supply. Nath also urges the big community puja organizers  to make arrangements of emergency generators inside their community puja to deal with any sudden power breakdown.

Apart from these, the department has also made arrangements of additional manpower for all subdivisions and all sub-stations and all kind leave for the staff from top to bottom will be cancelled from the day of ‘Mahalaya’, said Nath and added  Power department will also make arrangements during immersion of Goddess and urged the clubs to inform their route of immersion in advance to TSECL authorities.

As per the requirement of power for entire state, TSECL has now receiving 38 MW power from Rukhia thermal power plant, 20MW from Baramura, 2 MW from Gomati hydel power plant and will purchase additional power from central grid as per the requirement apart from NEEPCO, Palatana and from central grid .

Keeping in view the ongoing preparations of community puja organizers and heavy shopping in and around the Agartala city, the capital city along with other parts of the state have already converted into load shedding free zones.

Nath added that the necessary maintenance of transmission lines have already been completed in maximum areas and remaining works will be completed by October 10 for uninterrupted power supply during puja days.