Severe power crisis: KSEB decides to purchase electricity from North India

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has sought the help of North Indian states to solve the power crisis in the state. It is reported that KSEB directors will travel to North India tomorrow to ensure the availability of electricity. They will hold discussions with officials from Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, and Bihar.

The decision to hold direct discussions with the northern states was taken at the high-level KSEB meeting convened her Sunday morning. The board has decided to take urgent measures to overcome the present crisis.

Meantime, KSEB chairman and managing director M G Rajamanikyam said that they don’t have any magic wand to resolve the state’s electricity crisis overnight. He clarified this in an interview given to a media. He said that under the present circumstances, the only way to overcome the crisis is for consumers to exercise self-restraint.

He clarified that reduced rainfall caused by the El Niño phenomenon, along with an unusual rise in temperatures, led to a sharp increase in electricity consumption in the state. During a normal monsoon, peak electricity demand used to be around 4,000 MW, but this year it has risen to between 4,800 and 5,000 MW. The state’s peak power demand reached a record high of 5,400 MW last Thursday. However, only 4,200 MW was available, he pointed. In previous year in September, the average demand was only 4,224 MW.

The maximum generation capacity of the state’s hydropower projects, which are its main domestic source of electricity, is only 1,750 MW. However, consumption is far higher than this. He also pointed that Kerala has not been able to implement another major power project after Idukki.

He requested people to voluntarily cooperate to avoid power restrictions and to reduce electricity consumption during peak hours, between 7 pm and midnight.