Hyderabad: The Telangana power crisis has moved from warning to daily worry. Demand hit an all-time high of 20,018 MW on October 16. Only a day earlier, it had crossed 20,000 MW for the first time. Meanwhile, the thermal plants carrying this load are running on thin coal stocks.
The trend explains the concern. Peak demand stood at 6,648 MW when Telangana came into being in 2014. It rose to 15,497 MW in 2023 and 17,162 MW last year. October usually brings relief after the monsoon. This year, however, daily consumption touched about 335 million units, nearly 37 per cent above last year.
Deputy Chief Minister Mallu Bhatti Vikramarka blames weak rain and new consumption patterns. Farmers in dry districts now run borewell pumps longer. Lift irrigation schemes, air conditioners and data centres also add to the load.
By mid-October, the state’s thermal stations held about nine days of coal against a norm of 21 days. Yadadri Thermal Power Station had barely five days of stock. Its boilers need high-grade G-9 coal. But Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL) mines only a fraction of what the plant needs. As a result, Yadadri often produced just 1,200 MW to 2,300 MW of its 4,000 MW capacity.
The government has moved to close the gap. Engineers synchronised Yadadri’s fifth 800 MW unit with the grid on October 20. Coal India has also agreed in principle to send about 50 lakh tonnes a year from Odisha.
Telangana power crisis may peak next summer
On October 22, Bhatti Vikramarka asked officials to lift daily thermal output to 140 million units from about 91 MU. The push aims to replace lost hydel power, which normally gives about 3,500 MW at evening peaks. Nagarjuna Sagar’s main station produced only 469.8 MU between April and late October, against a target of 1,500 MU.
Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy warns that the strain may last until July 2027. So the government has set aside Rs 6,000 crore for drought needs. It has also approved about 7,800 MW of solar, wind and battery storage.
The opposition sees mismanagement instead. BRS working president K T Rama Rao alleges the shortage helps justify costly imported coal. Former minister T Harish Rao calls it a man-made drought. The government, for its part, says it is ready for any probe.
Officials expect peak demand of 22,000 MW to 24,000 MW next summer. All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) president Asaduddin Owaisi shares that view. In a letter, he urged the government to run Yadadri at full capacity.
Consumers will also pay more. The power regulator has allowed discoms to recover Rs 5,420 crore in past costs. Non-agricultural consumers will see this true-up charge from November bills. With 365 mandals already drought-hit, the Telangana power crisis will likely stay on the agenda into 2027.
