Assam staring at power crisis: Here is what CM Himanta Biswa Sarma’s game plan is

CM Sarma informed the Assam Assembly that the sources for generating power in the state have already exhausted.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today informed the Assam Assembly that all the sources for generating electricity – be it rivers or gas have exhausted.
While this may seem to be a very alarming factor as far as the power scenario is concerned, the Assam government has already done advanced planning to cope up with the situation, CM Sarma said.

“We hope that by January or June 2024 we will get 208 MW power from the NHPC project in Lower Subansiri. We have reached agreements with 2 Hydel Power Projects in Bhutan-377 MW from Punatsangchhu Hydroelectric power plant in June 2024, 80 MW from Nikachhu Hydropower Plant this year, 120 MW from Lower Kopili Power Project in June 2024, 24 MW in Karbi Langpi Middle and 22 MW in Karbi Langpi Middle-1.
I have also spoken to UP CM. We have made a proposal to invest in the Ghatampur project. But they are yet to accept our investment proposal. However, the UP government has agreed to give us 492 MW power in 2024. By 2028, I think the power demand in the state will go up to 4500 MW. For that I have done an advanced planning to purchase 1250 MW from the Mahanadi Power project. So, Assam is in safe hands,” assured the CM.

Referring to Opposition leader Akhil Gogoi’s statements that the government is not properly looking into power generation, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “Unfortunately in terms of generation we have exhausted all the potential. We have no source left to generate power. Only one that is left is to set up a coal based electricity project in Margherita. My officers have informed that there is not enough water for generating power, we can generate 25 MW in Karbi Langpi. In June 2024 we will get 150 MW from Lower Kopili. But there are no options left to set up a hydel power project. For setting up a gas based project OIL has informed that there is no extra-gas left to do so. I want to inform the Assembly responsibly that there is no scope left to set up power projects in Assam.”

The Chief Minister, however, expressed serious concern over the sudden spike in power demand of the state.
Citing previous records of power consumption in the state, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma informed, “In 2016, our power demand was 1535 MW, in 2017 it was 1600 MW, in 2018-19 also it was 1600 MW it did not increase, in 2019-2020 the consumption was 1700 MW, in 2020-21 also it was 1700 MW, in 2021-22 the demand increased to 1800 MW. But in 2022-23 the demand was recorded at 1970 MW. For the first time Assam saw such an increase in power demand in a decade. This year the power demand has reached 2400 MW. What has happened, why there is such a sharp increase, the reasons are not known to me. It caught us off guard. By the time my government will complete the full term in office (in 2026) the power demand in the state will be close to 4000 MW.”

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