Shutdown of Naptha Jhakri
Jhakri power plant Himachal Pradesh has caused huge losses to the
state government.
The 1500-megawatt plant, which supplies nearly one-third of the
power used by north India, has been closed for the last one month
after a pipe burst, which led to flooding in the underground
powerhouse of the project submerging three floors.
Authorities have said that though the water was being pumped out,
the exercise was going to take longer.
Vidya Stokes, State Power Minister said, that the loss was going
to increase, if the project was not re-started soon.
“The loss in five days is approximately 90 million rupees. So you
can easily calculate the loss, given that it has been closed for
a month. Now, if it is delayed for two more weeks, then you can
imagine the loss. There has been a great loss,” she said.
The plant was closed repeatedly in July and August because of
excessive silt.
The state government has constituted a committee to conduct a
thorough enquiry and suggest precautions to prevent such further
incidents.