The national media is buzzing with over drawl issue. But
just consider this :
1. Whether trippings were result of over drawl. :- Both
tripping started with tripping of 400 KV line with no generator on it. The
cascading was initiated due to over frequency ( at the time of first failure,
frequency was 50.46 Hz) and not due to under frequency. It is a shame that the
power minister of India, Ex power secretary and many other so called experts
blame the grid collapse to over drawl they fail to recognize that though over
drawl is a vicious evil but it can never, never and never ... trigger a grid
collapse on high frequency.
Clearly their agenda is somewhat else.
2. What about system strengthening : Again, the is tough
talk about enforcing discipline. It has become a fashion that for every
problem, blame it to formers. …The urea subsidy is blocking progress of India.
….The farm subsidy is the culprit in the path of share
market boom.
….There is over-drawl because state governments are
allowing formers to consume more.
But what about the ministry itself. More than 74000 Cr
has been collected as unbalanced UI fund. The Power Sector Development Fund
(PSDF) regulation drafted by CERC is lying with power
ministry since 2010. Neither the Babus nor Mr Shinde ever got time to finalize
it.
CERC has now summoned officials of SLCs , will it dare to
summon central power secretary ?
Transmission conservation penalties of more than 1400 Cr is also not
being put to use. It should have been used for strengthening of transmission corridor.
1400 Cr as equity could have funded projects worth 7000 Cr. Nothing done. There
is wind power capacity available in TN
but cannot be transmitted. Who is to be blamed.
3. Is the quota Rational :UP, Bihar, Punjab, etc re
blamed. But whether the allotment itself was judicial. How Delhi Discoms got
higher chunk then what was due. Who will probe the discretionary quota
allotment by the power ministry. Why it is not transparent. How long Lutian’s
Delhi will keep blaming the northern states.
4. What the reforms achieved : The Ex power secretary, on
NDTV pleaded that reform must go forward. SLDC to be ring fenced. Open access
to be encouraged .. blab la bla. Does it make sense. I have a firm conviction
that the root of all the problems of electricity sector today lies in the
un-thoughtful reform adopted in the country. There is no sensitivity to the
people’s need or capacity or to the national interest. We declare it commercial commodity as if one
can reap grains not from the fields of a former but from a multiplex. The
disintegration of system has already lead to chaos in the system. With two
powerful Deos religiously pushing hard for private sector agenda in the name of
1 MW open access, the system is doomed to crash more frequently, tariff for
common man to spiral up and shortages to remain in the farm sector. If rural
electrification helped the green revolution, be prepared to witness a reversal.
With increasing stress on
commercialization of electricity, the farm sector may get stuck up.
The big question is - Will somebody rise up and ask for
probe against all the scandals of power sector and review of Electricity Act
2003 in its entirety.
Advice from Vinay Pandey
