TAMIL NADU-Waiting for the Rains

TAMIL NADU Waiting for the Rains Brindavan C Moses TAMIL NADU is experiencing an um- precedented .situation on the power front. With the south-west and north- east monsoons failing last year, hydro- power generation has been adversely affected. Thermal power generation is also far from satisfactory, thanks to poor maintenance by TNEB and the unhelpful attitude of the Centre on the supply and transport of coal from the Bihar-Bengal coal mines. Tamil Nadu has a capacity of generating l,369 mw of hydro-power from its 18 hydel projects and 1,740 mw of thermal power from the four thermal stations including the Central government-operated 600 mw Neyveli plant. It could have very well managed to tide over the power crisis if thermal generation had been properly maintained.