New Delhi : Coal and Power Minister Piyush Goyal on Wednesday said there will be more pressure on the country’s thermal power generation plants if the monsoon rains are deficient this year.
“It is a matter of concern that the monsoons are expected to be below normal,” Goyal told reporters on the sidelines of an award function. “We are conscious that this will result in a fall in hydro power production and the demand will also increase because the farmers will need more power to run their pumps.”
Goyal, however, said that the coal and power ministries were ready with a contingency plan to ensure that there are no power shortages in the country in case of a below normal monsoon.
He said the two ministries under his charge have been preparing for any eventuality by ensuring adequate availability of coal for generation. Goyal said the state-owned Coal India’s production has risen 11.9% this fiscal to 83.8 million tonne.
“Buffer stocks are being built up, power plants are ready to produce more. We have sufficient capacity in the system…Sufficient contingency plans have been drawn up. We will ensure that there is no power shortage anywhere in the country,” he said, while appealing to states to procure more coal, so that their plants do not shut because of fuel shortage.
The minister said wherever required, state-run power generator NTPC will be available to produce and supply more power.
