In spite of the fact that the Jharkhand Bidyut Vitran Nigam Limited (JBVNL) has found a way to reinforce power flexibly in Jharkhand, almost 6,000 customers in Sindri township have been abandoned. Frequent power cuts because of cable failures makes the township stay in darkness from 12 to 24 hours almost every alternate day.
In 2003, JBVNL, previously known as JSEB, purchased the power supply network from the now closed Sindri fertiliser plant. Back then, while the management of the fertiliser factory used to supply power in the township, JSEB had its own private consumers both within and outside the area.
Problems emerged when the state power cradle started moving its load into the city’s weathered 60-year-old power supply grid. The old underground cables and circuit breakers started to burst under the increased load and instead of repairing the defective cables and breakers, the JSEB authorities kept bypassing them, taking the situation to the present condition where it has become impossible to even fix the old cables.
JBVNL’s indifferent attitude can be gauged from the fact that over the last 17 years it has not even been able to open a maintenance office in the township.
“Earlier, it was decided that the fertiliser factory management would take care of the power system inside the plant premises and JSEB would take care of the system outside the plant,” said Deepak Kumar, the secretary of Sindri Chamber of Commerce and Industries.
Kumar added, “Now, when the HURL is setting up a new fertiliser unit in the plant premises, it should take care of the power supply system.”
When contacted, HURL general manager S K Sinha said they are equally disturbed by the frequent power cuts. “HURL deposited Rs 7 crores with JBVNL on July 31, 2018 for shifting the power cables from inside the plant premises to outside the plant. However, the work has not been completed yet,” Sinha added.
He further said, “Last week, we even provided them with a new cable for replacement of the worn-out cable but the state power body is not providing the required man power. We have complained to the Dhanbad DC (Uma Shankar Singh) in this regard and she convened a meeting with HURL and JBVNL on Friday evening to resolve the matter.”
The meeting was going on till the time this report was filed. Upon contact, JBVNL area general manager Paritosh Kumar said that he was looking into the matter and the issue will be resolved shortly.
