Power consumption rising in Kerala; unannounced power cuts in several areas

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Power consumption has risen sharply across Kerala, leading to frequent unannounced power cuts in many areas, especially at night. The KSEB said that no official restrictions have been imposed, and the outages are mainly due to overload issues, including blown transformer fuses.

In several places, transformers have even caught fire due to excessive load. Complaints about unscheduled power cuts are widespread, particularly in northern districts where the distribution network is weaker.

KSEB had earlier estimated peak demand to reach around 6000 MW this summer. However, on Saturday, daily consumption hit a record 117.155 million units, while peak demand touched 6033 MW.

Officials say up to 6,300 MW can be supplied without disruption. Beyond that, restrictions may be needed to manage overload. Water levels in the Idukki Dam are currently at just 36%.

Shortage in external power supply
There is also a shortage in the external power supply. Under existing agreements, around 200 MW has been reduced since the 16th under power banking arrangements. Another 200 MW shortfall is expected from today (Monday), with a further 200 MW likely from the 26th. Authorities have started efforts to purchase power from the market at rates up to Rs 10 per unit.