Keralam Faces Power Crisis; CM Shifts Responsibility to KSEB

Thiruvananthapuram: The state government has admitted that power restrictions are being imposed in Keralam. Chief Minister VD Satheesan said at a press conference that electricity consumption in September had increased compared with the previous year and that the surge in demand had created the current crisis.

The admission makes it clear that the UDF government failed to plan adequately in anticipation of the electricity crisis. Satheesan said efforts were underway to bring more electricity to the state and that instructions could be given to the KSEB to follow a proper schedule while implementing power restrictions. The current crisis has been attributed to lapses in planning and a lack of coordination with the electricity board.

In July this year, the state's electricity demand stood at around 4,800–4,900 MW. Daily consumption rose to 88 million units. There was rainfall only on a few days during the period, and the dams did not receive adequate inflows. Many dams currently have only around half of their storage capacity filled.

The lack of rainfall has created a situation not seen in recent times. Domestic power generation has also declined significantly. Peak-hour electricity demand has increased by 800–900 MW compared with September in previous years.

Under these circumstances, uninterrupted power supply is possible only with proper planning. People are now struggling with power cuts and load shedding after the UDF government failed to anticipate the crisis and ensure adequate power availability.

On Tuesday night, a power outage lasted for more than an hour, leaving people struggling in the intense heat. Electricity supply is being disrupted intermittently across both rural and urban areas. In several rural areas, outages have lasted for more than one and a half hours.

The power crisis has hit at a time when temperatures in the state are up to four degrees Celsius above normal. Elderly people and bedridden patients have been among those facing the greatest difficulties.

The KSEB has only announced that power supply may be disrupted between 6 pm and midnight. There is no clarity on when the outages will occur or how long they will last.

As power cuts have become frequent, the functioning of hospitals, construction units, hostels and commercial establishments has also been disrupted. At several healthcare centres, patients arriving with injuries or requiring emergency treatment are being treated under the light of mobile phones because of power outages.

When a similar situation occurred in the past, Health Minister K Muraleedharan had responded that a power cut lasted only half an hour and that surgeries could be conducted after the outage ended.