Snag in Gamharia power sub-station leads several areas into darkness

Jamshedpur: Several non-company areas descended into darkness on Sunday following a mechanical snag at the Gamharia power-grid sub-station. Jharkhand Energy Development Corporation Limited (JEDCL) supplies electricity to these localities.

Sources said several localities including Adityapur Mango, Jugsalai and Parsudih are facing a temporary power crisis after a mechanical problem in the sub-station. “Engineers have begun the repair work to remove the fault. We expect them to restore the power scenario to normal late this evening,” said a senior JEDCL official.

The two major power grid sub-stations at Golmuri and Gamharia supplying power to Singhbhum region are getting 40 MW power less than the usual supply. Sources in central load dispatch (CLD) said the Golmuri grid sub-station is getting only 20 MW against the usual supply of 30 MW.

The Gamharia-based grid sub-station is getting 35 MWagainst a normal supply of 60 MW.” We have requested the central sector to increase the power supply to cope up with the present crisis,” said the official.

Subscribers in various JEDCL command areas including the four places had to confront with problems of intermittent power cuts and compulsory load shedding.

Normal life was affected in several JEDCL controlled areas including the Adityapur industrial area which was the worst affected as a majority of the small and medium scale units, which depends on JEDCL power could not undertake any production activity. Residents at the Dimna Road in Mango complained that due to the power crisis they could not fetch water from the borings.

“We could not operate the water pump in the absence of power. We do not have any generator facilitysaid Ashok Singh, a resident of Madhusudan Complex at Dimna Road in Mango.Notably, this was the second time in the past one week the power supply was affected in the non-company areas. Earlier, this week power supply got disrupted at several places due to the incessant rains.