Electricity Board should open its eyes

When the Kerala State Electricity Board approached the Regulatory Commission seeking permission to buy power from outside at a higher cost to overcome the electricity crisis, the Commission asked a simple question: why was this crisis not anticipated? The KSEB did not give a clear answer, but consumers already know it; no proper planning was done. After failing to get approval from the Commission, the Board resorted to sudden power cuts without warning to manage the shortage. During peak hours, power was cut for 15 to 20 minutes, causing inconvenience to the public. Following strong criticism, this was made official as scheduled load shedding of 30 minutes. Fortunately, this lasted only for two days, as the state began receiving 200 MW of power daily from the Centre.

In fact, the India Meteorological Department had already warned that this summer would be severe. During extreme heat, water in dams evaporates quickly, water levels drop, and power generation decreases. At the same time, electricity demand rises as people use fans continuously and install air conditioners. The use of electrical appliances has also been increasing steadily. In short, everyone except the KSEB knew that a power crisis was likely this summer. There is only one reason for this- when a crisis arises, they can quickly buy power from outside at high prices, bargain with the Commission, and pass the burden on to consumers.

There is a scientific system called dam management in hydropower production. It involves scientific planning of how the water stored in dams during the monsoon should be used for power generation in different months, and how much should be conserved to manage shortages during the summer. However, reports suggest that in the past year, none of our power experts properly followed these dam management practices. From June onwards, when dams had enough water for about five months, large-scale power generation was carried out without proper planning. While producing power at that time was necessary, electricity could have been purchased at a lower cost from central power stations. If that had been done, and water had been conserved in dams for summer use, the current crisis could have been avoided. This lack of planning is what the Commission questioned.

For now, the state has managed the situation with the help of power from the Centre. However, the situation may become more serious next year. Kerala is a fully electrified state, and electricity use continues to rise as living standards improve. Air conditioners, once considered a luxury, have now become a necessity. As people’s purchasing power has increased, the demand for electrical appliances has grown for almost everything. Work has also begun, though delayed, on setting up Battery Energy Storage Systems (BESS) to store solar power for use at night. A BESS project has started in Mylatti in Kasaragod, and it will take about six months to complete. Similar systems are being set up in Malappuram, Alappuzha, and Thiruvananthapuram districts as well. These projects should be ready by next summer. The KSEB must show the necessary care and responsibility to ensure this.