Delhi gets a power plant

After the bad publicity the Delhi Government received for not being able to manage the power and water situation, especially with the Commonwealth Games coming up, the government has found a solution. A new power plant at the cost of Rs 10,000 crores has been finalised in Chattisgarh. It will meet the electricity requirement of the city by 2010.

“The MoU with the Chhattisgarh government will be signed next month as we wanted the power plant to be completed by 2009 or latest by early 2010 to meet the power requirement at the time of Commonwealth Games,” said Delhi Power Minister, Haroon Yusuf on Friday. After visiting various places on Thursday the minister said that they have finalised Nawagarh area of Janjgir-Champa district to set up the plant. “We need 2,500 acre land in that area to set up the 2000 MW power plant with an investment of Rs 10,000 crore,” he said, adding that 30 per cent of that investment will be borne by the Delhi government and the rest would be raised through equity.

It had been estimated that by 2010 the power demand of Delhi would be 5000 mw and the Nawagarh power plant would meet that requirement. The power plant has been set up in Chattisgarh because the area is coal rich. “It is easier to transmit power from Chattisgarh to the Capital rather than transport coal from there to Delhi and then set up a power plant,” Yusuf clarified.