Amid the lush green valleys where the Nalkari River flows to its own tune, India dreamed a new dream in the 1960s. It was the dream of electricity — the power that could light up dark homes, run factory machines, and give engines the strength to thunder along railway tracks.
Patratu Thermal Power Station was not just an ordinary project. It stood as a symbol of friendship between India and the Soviet Union. Between 1966 and 1972, six massive Russian units were installed there. Mighty boilers from Taganrog swallowed coal and turned it into steam, powering the entire plant. The renowned LMZ company of Leningrad supplied turbines—so gleaming and powerful they seemed to dance to the rhythm of electricity itself. And finally came the Electrosila generators, beating like an iron heart.
By 1972, all six units were roaring with life. At night, the red and white glow rising from their chimneys seemed to rival the stars. Coal-laden freight trains continuously fed the boilers. People watched clouds of white steam bursting skyward, as though a new era had begun. Russian and Indian engineers worked shoulder to shoulder. Language often posed a barrier, but the machines spoke their own — one of torque and current. Slowly, Russian manuals were translated into Hindi, but the true bond was forged through working together.
Today, the story of the old plant remains a part of history, while Patratu undergoes a process of renewal. Those machines were not just mechanical structures; they were symbols of India’s industrial age, the forces that gave Patratu a new identity.
👨🏫 Sudesh Kumar
