Power cuts return in Kerala after four days

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Power cuts returned in Kerala last night after a brief break. There had been no power cuts for four days as electricity was available from outside the state.

The state faced a shortage of 700 MW yesterday as no additional power was available. The 200 MW that Kerala had been receiving from Madhya Pradesh through a power swap was also unavailable. Kerala had also been receiving 50 MW from Haryana. However, electricity was not available through the power exchange as power demand in North India remained high yesterday. Grid frequency had also dropped.

Power tariff may go up

KSEB CMD M.G. Rajamanikyam has indicated that power tariffs may be increased due to the purchase of electricity from outside the state at higher rates. He told the media that KSEB had purchased electricity worth Rs 1,500 crore in the past three months and would have to submit the details to the regulatory commission. The decision on a tariff hike rests with the regulatory commission. He said all efforts were being made to resolve the current power crisis by next month.