DGVCL power cut rolled back, relief for Surat textile units before Diwali
Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited has withdrawn the eight-hour daily power cut on industrial feeders across South Gujarat, easing pressure on Surat textile mills ahead of Diwali.
The DGVCL power cut on industrial feeders in South Gujarat has been withdrawn with immediate effect, DeshGujarat reported on Friday, 23 October. Dakshin Gujarat Vij Company Limited (DGVCL) had imposed staggered cuts of eight hours a day, from 4 pm to midnight, to manage the state's power supply.
Why the DGVCL power cut was imposed
Gujarat is usually a power-surplus state, but it faced supply constraints this month because of unexpectedly high electricity demand. The cuts were brought in to manage that shortfall. The report did not say when the original order was issued.
Cost to Surat's textile sector
Surat's textile industry, including processing mills and weaving units, was hit hardest. According to industry estimates cited in the report, 400 to 450 textile processing mills spent ₹40 crore to ₹50 crore running generators over four weeks, or about ₹10 lakh per mill. The weaving sector put its losses across the supply chain at ₹15 crore to ₹20 crore in a single day. These figures are industry estimates and have not been independently verified.
Industry associations told the state government and the Energy Department that the DGVCL power cut was causing production losses, higher costs and delays to festive orders, and asked for it to be lifted.
What industry leaders said
Ashok Jirawala, president of the Federation of Gujarat Weavers Association, said the industry was already dealing with higher input costs and weak demand. He said Surat has about 45,000 to 48,000 working weaving units that need reliable power to keep up quality and meet delivery dates.
Jitu Vakharia, president of the South Gujarat Textile Processors Association, said generator costs had put severe pressure on mills, at a time when prices of crude oil, coal and dyeing chemicals were rising.
What has not been said
The report did not include a statement from DGVCL or the state government on the rollback or on whether power supply is now stable.
