Punjab is facing a power availability shortfall of around 1,850 MW amid the ongoing nationwide coal shortage, with the crisis affecting both the state’s share from Central Sector thermal power stations and generation at the Rajpura thermal plant.The shortage has hit industrial production, triggering outrage among industrialists. Domestic and agricultural consumers, too, are hit by unscheduled power cuts.According to data available with the state power authorities, Punjab has a fixed share of around 2,814 MW from Central Sector thermal power stations located outside the state. However, the average power actually available to Punjab from these stations is only around 1,621 MW, leaving a shortfall of approximately 1,193 MW.The plant-wise assessment of the Central Sector stations shows that the shortfall is spread across several generating stations, with the gap varying depending on their actual generation and the power scheduled for Punjab. Taken together, the average shortfall from Punjab’s Central Sector allocation is around 1,193 MW, said an official of the Power Department.The situation has been further aggravated by the Rajpura thermal plant operated by Nabha Power Ltd, where coal is allocated by the Central Government. The plant has an installed capacity of 1,330 MW but has been operating at around 50 per cent capacity over the past few days, generating approximately 660 MW.The reduced generation at Rajpura represents a further shortfall of around 670 MW from its maximum capacity. Combined with the 1,193-MW shortfall in Punjab’s Central Sector allocation, the overall impact on the state’s power availability is around 1,850 MW.The latest assessment comes a day after Power Minister Tarunpreet Singh Sond flagged the impact of the nationwide coal shortage on Punjab’s electricity supply. In a statement issued on September 5, the minister said power generation in the state had declined by around 1,500 MW due to the severe coal shortage and that thermal power generation across the country was being affected.Sond had also said that around 63 GW of power supply across the country had been affected by the coal shortage. He specifically pointed to reduced coal supplies from the Centre affecting the Rajpura and Talwandi Sabo thermal power plants.The minister had urged the Central Government to take immediate concrete steps to address the coal shortage and ensure uninterrupted power supply.