Jharsuguda: Both Units of Orissa Power Generation Plant situated at Banharpalli had stopped generating electricity since yesterday night 11 P.M. Both Units -I and Unit –II with a capacity of generating electricity at 210 MW each had stopped its production.
When contacted PR Head Dilip Panda, “He said that due to some faults from the WESCO’s Budhipatar Grid, these Units have been affected. However the Unit –II would be restored by 1 P.M. and Unit –I would we restored at 9.P.M. in the evening. Our Engineers are working upon it.”
But when enquired, WESCO Budhipatar Officials denied about the faults from Grid side as if that was the case then their grid could be also affected but nothing happened so the reasons for the OPGC Unit –I & II are still unknown.
Similarly these units were affected in the month of August’12 due to lighting and in November’12 due to boiler leakage problem.
OPGC Employees Union’s President Uma Ballav Rath regarding the frequent shuts down at OPGC, said that “The main reason behind the frequent shutdown of these Units is mismanagement and poor maintenance of the plant. He blamed AES Company for its frequent shutdown. The Company who has taken contract for Maintenance has employed inexperience employees because of which the maintenance problems are being faced by the company in regular interval. Due to mismanagement of AES Company around 85 expert engineers have already left the OPGC. Under these circumstances company has yet to set up its proposed expansion project which is on process. He also blamed the Odisha State Government for not reviewing the AES Company which is given a share of 49 percent valued at 603 Cr.”
The regular shutdown of this Power Plant is becoming a serious concern for the state government day by day. It has become a high time for the government to take some important action to address these issues immediately.
However , till the filing of news , Unit –II has been restored and Unit – I is expected to be restored by 9 P.M. in the evening.
