Probe ordered into fire at Mettur plant

CHENNAI/METTUR: The Tamil Nadu government has ordered an enquiry into the fire accident at the 840MW Mettur thermal power plant which killed one person. The fire was sparked off from a conveyor belt carrying coal to the furnace. Sources in the Tamil Nadu Electricity Board told TOI that a probe would unearth the causes of the fire at the plant which forced managers to shut down the plant and deprive the state of a much-needed 800MW of supply.
Raising the issue in the state assembly, chief minister J Jayalalithaa said the fire, which broke out past midnight on Thursday, had completely damaged the conveyor belt and the space between the two towers in the coal handling area. All the four units at the power station were halted. Station chief engineer C Madhu told reporters soon after the fire was brought under control that the accident could have been caused by electrical short-circuit.
However, a section of the Central Organization of Tamilnadu Electricity Employees (COTEE) blamed it on low quality coal, poor maintenance and a serious shortage of manpower. Said COTEE secretary V Elangovan, “When coal is taken through a conveyor belt to a height of 52 metres from the ground, some of it is bound to fall. This is highly combustible coal and could easily catch fire.” Added to this is the manpower shortage, claimed Elangovan.
TNEB officials, however, dismissed the claims, saying the quality of the coal imported from Indonesia was good and the shortage of manpower was not restricted to one plant alone. They confirmed that an enquiry has been ordered to find out the reasons for the fire in the plant.
“The EB is making arrangements to get power from North Chennai and Tuticorin thermal plants as well as a private power plant. All these plants will contribute around 750 MW every day. With wind energy also on the rise, contributing 2,500MW now, we don’t see much change in the existing power situation in the state. However, we are continuously monitoring the functioning of other power plants in the state,” said TNEB officials. “As of now, there won’t be any increase in the scheduled power cuts in the state, including Chennai,” they added.
Power loss to be made up through other sources: CM
CHENNAI:The loss of 800MW due to a fire in the Mettur thermal power station would be made up through other sources, said Tamil Nadu chief minister J Jayalalithaa in the state assembly on Thursday. The chief minister said some of the units in the Turicorin and North Chennai thermal power plants, which had been shut down for maintenance, would be reopened immediately. She said the fire accident at the Mettur plant had stopped power production to the tune of 840MW.
“However, in order to ease the trouble faced by the public, steps have been taken on a war footing to commission non-functioning units at Tuticorin and North Chennai from today,” she said. A total of 420MW of power would be generated from these units. In addition, 330MW would be purchased from a private power producer at Pillaiperumalnallur. As against the loss of 840MW in power production, 750MW would be made up, she said.
The chief minister said she had directed officials to get the Mettur plant back on track at the earliest. Conveying her condolences to family members of Nallathambi, the plant worker, who had died in the fire accident, the chief minister announced compensation of Rs two lakh.
She said Gopal, who was injured in the fire, would be given Rs 25,000.