‘No undeclared load shedding in state; what exists now is only regulation’; says Electricity Minister

PALAKKAD: Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty said that there is no undeclared load shedding in the state. He clarified that the present interruptions are only natural regulation measures when the system gets overloaded, and added that efforts will be made to avoid increasing electricity charges.

‘The regulatory commission hearing has been completed. Power consumption has crossed 6195 MW. We may have to purchase electricity at higher prices. We will try not to increase electricity charges. People should voluntarily reduce usage. This is not just a problem in Kerala, but across India. The opposition should also take this into account. The present issue will be resolved within two days,’ he said.

Meantime, there are widespread complaints that undeclared power cuts are occurring in many parts of the state due to increased consumption. It is alleged that power outages are happening multiple times at night, each lasting around 15 minutes.

Meantime, water levels in dams under the KSEB are at their lowest in nine years. The reasons are reduced summer rainfall and increased demand due to intense heat. If this situation continues, the state may face a power crisis. More electricity may have to be purchased from outside at higher rates. Only 32% of water storage remains in the dams, compared to 41% last year. The available water can generate about 1328.235 million units of electricity, while the current daily consumption exceeds 106 million units on average.