Rookhia power project in Sipahijala narrowly escapes devastating fire, power crisis continues

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, April 22, 2024

At a time when almost the entire state is reeling under frequent power cuts for reasons best known to the power department and TSECL authority, the Rookhia thermal power plant in Sepahijala district narrowly escaped a devastating fire from short-circuit last night. Sources from Rookhia said that around midnight, a small power had been sighted in the power transmission line in the project but the alert employees immediately called for help from Fire Brigade department in Bishalgarh . Three fire tender vans rushed to the spot in no time and with help from project employees doused the fire. The matter has been brought to the notice of higher TSECL authority and the Fire Brigade authority have also asked the Rookha project employees to be always on alert as it is an inflammable thermal power project.

Meanwhile , for inexplicable reasons frequent power cuts on daily basis have made life unbearable for people in the sultry summer . There are places in the state that remain without power for hours and even days on end . Even various localities of the state capital go powerless for considerable time almost daily . Strangely, according to sources Tripura’s peak hour requirement of power is 310 megawatts at the moment out of which 43 megawatts are covered by state’s own generation while 267 megawatts are available from outside share. This means there is balance between generation and supply as the production from Palatana is exported to Bangladesh. But nevertheless there is the problem of frequent power cuts. Sources attributed this to transmission loss and grossly inefficient handling of TSECL’s function outsourced to many dubious outside companys who never discharge their duties properly because they come here with recommendations from Delhi, presumably after making their way through persuasive inducements. Sources said that unless the inefficient and corrupt outside companys are driven out and local people inducted for work as before the problem will persist.