One of the largest power generation stations in the Eastern Region, NTPC’s Farakka plant operated with just one 500 MW unit on Saturday sparking fears of an electricity supply problem in the region.

However, Eastern Region Load Despatch Centre said that as on 7.03 PM on March 12, a total of 18,068 MW of demand was met in the region, which is the normal level of supply for the region.

NTPC’s Farakka power plant has a total capacity of 2,100 MW, which includes three 200 MW units and three 500 MW units.

Low water levels in the Farakka Feeder Canal led to five of the units being shut down totalling 1,600 MW. NTPC said the situation is unlikely to improve over the next few days unless water levels in the canal improve.

ERLDC officials said that typically during this time of the year water levels in the Farakka Feeder Canal drops leading to a drop in generation from the plant. However, this time the water levels are lower than before.

“Right now inter-regional exchanges are helping meet the demand,” an ERLDC official said adding that the situation is being constantly monitored.

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