AGARTALA, August 12 (TIWN): The ninth unit of Rukhia thermal power plant has been damaged in a malfunction which ended in a fire in the 21 MW power plant, officials of the BHEL said.A highly placed source in the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) today said that a team of engineers from the BHEL that is currently visiting the state revealed after preliminary investigation at the plant that the ninth unit was too damaged to be repaired on the spot.Two units at the Rukhia thermal power plant were down earlier this year. The eighth unit was down on a routine inspection and was expected to be back in operation by August 10.The deadline spilled anyway and now the BHEL engineers are expecting to put it back on track.

The new ninth unit, which was commissioned less than a year back, is waiting for a special inspection by BHEL. The apex heavy machinery manufacturer was asked to figure out reasons of massive malfunction in the 21 MW unit within the warranty period, Power Minister Manik Dey said recently.

The third unit of Baramura thermal power plant went out of operation recently as well.

The TSECL source maintained that the BHEL engineers were asked to continue inspection of the ninth unit and suggest further action. The unit is still having few months left to go from the warranty period, the source said.