The power situation in the state remains precarious with the demand rising continuously due to increasing temperatures. Already many parts of the city are facing long hours of unscheduled cuts. The power demand is currently hovering at around 260 MU per day and the shortage is around 8 to 10 MU per day.

The situation has worsened due to the fall in generation at Simhadri (about 300 MW) caused by the shortage of coal. As the supplies of both coal and gas for power plants have been cut, many projects are running only at 50 per cent of generation capacity. While the central discom has imposed unscheduled power cuts of two to six hours in parts of the city, many other areas face cuts ranging from four to eight hours at a stretch.

“The power shortage is increasing day by day and if the fuel shortage persists, the situation can worsen rapidly and power cuts will have to be imposed on core areas of the city as well,” said an official. Even with the Singareni Collieries ensuring 120 per cent of coal supply to make up for the shortfall in supply from the Mahanadi Coalfields, the situation is becoming increasingly precarious.