Brace for 2-hour load-shedding

Bangalore, 6 May 2014 (DHNS): The State government has from Monday imposed two hours of scheduled load-shedding in urban areas, including Bangalore city, and six hours in rural pockets with immediate effect.

 

The State government has from Monday imposed two hours of scheduled load-shedding in urban areas, including Bangalore city, and six hours in rural pockets with immediate effect.

 

The move is in view of a shortfall of 1,650 mw in power generation by various companies.

In Bangalore and other major cities, there will be staggered load-shedding for two hours, while in rural areas, it would be up to six hours, Energy Minister D K Shivakumar announced on Monday. “Today, I am not in a position to say there will be no load-shedding,” he said, adding that escoms (electricity supplying companies) would work out the schedule of load-shedding in various areas and announce it in two or three days.

The minister, while addressing the media in Bangalore, said the demand for power has come down following rainfall in some districts. However, there is paucity in power generation, which is forcing escoms to go for load-shedding, he said.

 

Pertaining to Bangalore, he said, directions have been issued to maintain normal power supply for 22 hours in a day. “The City is facing fluctuations in the supply due to low capacity of power transmitters. Areas around Yelahanka are going to be affected the most,” he added.

 

Shivakumar also said escoms have been forced to resort to load-shedding, following a shortfall in power generation at the Udupi Power Corporation Limited (by 600 mw), Raichur Thermal Power Station and Bellary Thermal Power Station (combined 400 mw).

Various courts have stayed the State government order to private power companies not to sell electricity outside the State, resulting in shortfall of another 650 mw.

 

Interestingly, just a couple of weeks ago, Shivakumar had claimed that the State had excess power and the government had no plans of introducing load-shedding.

 

The minister pointed out that private power companies had obtained a stay order on the government’s move of invoking section 11 of the State Electricity Act, 2003, which empowers it to block the export of electricity by private companies. Following the stay order, the government had stopped getting 650 mw from these companies, Shivakumar said.

 

The government was already purchasing 712 mw of power per day on a short and medium-term basis at an average cost of Rs 5.5 per unit. There was no immediate move to buy additional power and a decision would be taken on May 8, he said.