Southern states in the grip of power crisis

Mumbai: With monsoon paying truant, the power situation is worsening everyday in almost all southern states, except perhaps in Tamil Nadu. After Maharashtra, it is now the turn of Karnataka and Kerala where the state electricity regulatory commissions have suggested load shedding.

The Karnataka government has announced a 20 per cent reduction in power supply, that may leave India's software capital Bangalore without electricity for almost four hours. And, if the rains do not improve, the power cut may extend to six hours or more, official sources said.

Kerala has announced a 25 per cent cut in power supply to industrial units starting Friday even as the Kerala State Electricity Board is spending an additional Rs5 crore for buying costly power from other states to meet local demand.
 
With the situation worsening everyday, the state electricity regulatory commission has suggested load shedding for half an hour every day between 6 in the evening and 10 in the night.

The state faces a 500-MW power deficit during peak hours, which not only affects the state's economy but also hits the common man badly.

While the Karnataka government is planning power cuts to manage the acute shortage and even worse, Bangalore city is also facing a severe shortage of diesel.

The diesel shortage is also in part due to the long power shutdowns. Power cuts have also led to hoarding of diesel by consumers. Long queues are seen at retail outlets with people competing with industries to buy diesel.

The average daily demand for diesel in the city was 1,800 kilolitres. But, with load-shedding on, industries and corporate offices are increasingly dependent on diesel to run generators.

Demand for diesel in Bangalore is reported to have gone up by 40 per cent over the past one week.