Chandigarh, September 5, 2026 (Yes Punjab News)
Punjab Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond on Saturday said a severe shortage of coal across the country has aggravated the power situation in Punjab, with electricity generation in the state falling by around 1,500 MW and several thermal plants operating at reduced capacity.
Sond said the nationwide coal shortage had affected around 63 GW of power supply, with several thermal power plants across the country left with only three to four days of coal stock and consequently operating at nearly half their capacity.
In a video message, the Minister said Punjab had faced an electricity shortage for the past two to three days, forcing power cuts in domestic and industrial areas.
“Due to the severe coal shortage in the country, power generation in Punjab has declined by around 1,500 MW,” Sond said. “For the past two to three days, the state has been facing a shortage of electricity, due to which power cuts are being imposed in the domestic and industrial sectors out of compulsion.”
He said the crisis was not confined to Punjab and that the national coal shortage was affecting power generation across several states.
According to Sond, private thermal power plants in Punjab were also operating at around half their capacity because of inadequate coal supplies. In contrast, thermal plants receiving coal through arrangements made by the Punjab government have around 10 days of stock available, he said.
The Minister specifically cited Nabha Power Limited’s thermal plant in Rajpura and the Talwandi Sabo Thermal Plant in Mansa, which receive coal supplied by the Central government. He said inadequate supplies from the Centre had forced both plants to operate at around half their capacity, further aggravating the power shortage in Punjab.
“This is a very serious issue which is affecting the entire country,” Sond said, urging the Central government to address the shortage immediately and clarify how long it would take to restore adequate coal supplies.
He called for concrete and appropriate measures to resolve the coal shortage at the earliest, saying uninterrupted electricity supply was essential for both households and industries.
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