Bokaro Thermal Power Plant Shut Down, DVC Faces Heavy Costs

The Bokaro Thermal Power Station (BTPS) has been shut down after its ash pond reached an unsafe level. The shutdown began at about 1.30 am and stopped the generation of 500 MW of power. The closure has caused a daily loss of nearly Rs 5.71 crore to the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC). It will also force DVC to buy power from the market for supply in Jharkhand, Punjab, Delhi and other states. This will increase its financial burden.

The plant was closed because ash removal had been blocked for almost four months. Workers suspended ash movement on July 15 due to unpaid wages and other demands. Since then, the pond kept filling and crossed its safe limit. Engineers warned that the structure could fail at any time. Senior General Manager Sushil Kumar Arjariya said shutting the plant was the only safe option. He said the plant runs smoothly only when all sides cooperate.

Talks to restart ash movement did not progress. A tripartite meeting planned on October 30 could not move forward because the transporter did not attend. Another meeting on November 1 produced an agreement. Even then, the ash lifting work did not restart. The long delay pushed BTPS into a point where closing the unit became unavoidable.

Bokaro Deputy Commissioner Ajay Nath Jha said the crisis shows a clear coordination and communication gap between DVC management and its workers and local vendors. He said better dialogue could have prevented the shutdown and the losses that followed. He also said the administration has now resolved the issue. Ash removal has restarted and production at BTPS will begin soon.

Bermo SDO Mukesh Machhua said the technical problem started only because ash transportation had been stalled for months. He said talks with workers’ unions helped restart the work. Ash removal is now underway under administrative supervision. The plant will resume production once the pond returns to a safe level. Officials have not yet given a specific date.

The shutdown has raised concerns in several states that depend on BTPS for power. A long delay may push DVC to depend more on costly market purchases. It may also strain the regional power grid. Experts say the incident shows the need for better planning and more timely communication between management and field teams.

For now, the priority is to stabilise the ash pond, restore production and reduce further losses.