The ministry of new and renewable energy (MNRE) on Thursday told states to allow movement of material and engineers to ensure continuous renewable power generation.
“Power generation (including renewable power generation) is an essential service for securing smooth and uninterrupted power flow across and within states ,” the ministry said in a notification addressed to concerned authorities of all states.
There is a need to ensure uninterrupted power supply in the current scenario of Covid-19 outbreak and nationwide lockdown, it said.
Besides allowing permission for staff, vehicles and associated workforce to move around, the ministry also asked states for a waiver under Section 144, nationwide lockdown, curfew or any other limitation on a “number of people to gather in locations like sites, substations, transmission lines and towers etc. and other related locations where it may be required for operation and maintenance activities of renewable power generation and associated equipment”.
MNRE had issued a notification last week that said that the outbreak would be covered under the force majeure clause and now this clarification that power falls under essential services will help renewable industry in absorbing some impact of coronavirus outbreak.
This is a PTI News-Feed edited by Clean-Future Team