Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala is all set to impose power cuts of less than 30 minutes between 6 pm and midnight due to a sharp rise in electricity demand during the ongoing summer heat.
A high-level meeting authorised the Chief Engineer of the State Load Despatch Centre to implement load-shedding if necessary, with a team of senior officials reviewing the situation daily. Chaired by Additional Chief Secretary (Power) Puneet Kumar, the meeting was attended by KSEB Chairman and Managing Director Minhaj Alam, along with directors, chief engineers, and other top board officials.
They discussed the unexpected surge in power consumption and the shortage in the state. Peak power usage hit an all-time high of 118.26 million units on Monday, with evening demand after 6 pm reaching a record 6,033 MW and peaking at 6,195 MW at 10:30 pm on April 23.
The high-level meeting noted that power availability in the national market has dropped sharply due to a heatwave affecting large parts of the country. With Kerala relying on external sources for over 70 per cent of its electricity, the state faces a higher risk of crisis during summer.
Officials said a shortfall of 200 MW from central generating stations is expected to be resolved by Tuesday.
The KSEB has asked consumers to reduce electricity usage between 6 pm and 11 pm and avoid high-power appliances like pump sets, induction cookers, washing machines, and air conditioners during peak hours. Kerala Power Minister K. Krishnankutty on Monday had clarified there is no unannounced load shedding, explaining that brief outages of around 15 minutes at night in some areas are due to high demand.
The government has asked the regulatory commission for approval to buy extra power, even if it comes at a higher cost, while urging people to cut back on electricity use during peak hours.
Amid the ongoing power shortage, the Opposition UDF has accused the government of carrying out unannounced nighttime load shedding, despite earlier promises of uninterrupted supply. They want the consumption limits lifted right away and allege shady dealings in power procurement, blaming the current administration for scrapping previous long-term, low-cost deals and creating the crisis. The UDF also plans to push for an investigation into the alleged corruption in these decisions.
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