Keralam to Face Another Day of Blackouts

Thiruvananthapuram: Keralam is set to face another day of power disruptions as the state continues to grapple with an electricity shortage. The KSEB has announced that power restrictions will be imposed during Saturday evening's peak hours. However, it has not specified when the outages will begin or how long they will last.

According to KSEB, electricity demand is expected to increase by 200 to 300 MW compared with previous days, making power regulation necessary.

The continuing power cuts have triggered widespread public criticism of the UDF government. Healthcare workers have expressed concern that the outages could disrupt emergency surgeries and other critical medical services. Industries, hostels, hotels, and other establishments are also facing severe difficulties. Streetlights have reportedly remained switched off in many urban and rural areas, while the uncertainty over power supply has affected students preparing for examinations.

Although the initial announcement indicated that outages would last for about 30 minutes, residents in several areas have reported power cuts extending well beyond that duration after 7 pm. Consumers have also complained that KSEB has been unable to provide clear information on when power will be restored. In several places, electricity supply has reportedly been interrupted for more than half an hour even during daytime.

The UDF government introduced unannounced power restrictions on June 16. Following public criticism, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission directed KSEB to provide consumers with at least one hour's prior notice before imposing power cuts. Even this directive has not been consistently followed.

The KSEB has been promoting the view that measures such as implementing solar power agreements will soon resolve the electricity crisis, a claim it describes as lacking factual basis.