Power Cuts to Continue Today Due to UDF Government's Planning Failures

Thiruvananthapuram: Power supply in the state will be disrupted again today due to planning failures by the UDF government. KSEB has announced load-shedding between 6.30 pm and 12.30 am, citing a deficit of 800 to 900 MW. However, no clarity has been given on exactly when or for how long the power cuts will occur.

Although the previous night's restrictions were said to end by midnight, power cuts continued in some areas even after that. Unannounced outages of up to an hour are occurring during daytime as well, with load-shedding happening round the clock without prior warning.

The power restrictions have disrupted the functioning of hospitals, manufacturing units, hostels and commercial establishments. The state government is remaining inactive, citing a nationwide crisis. No new electricity purchase agreement has been secured for September either.

The state's power consumption the previous day was 95 million units, while domestic generation stood at only 26 million units. There is a shortage of 12,000 MW in availability from the central grid. Coal shortages causing thermal power plants to cut output are also being cited as a contributing factor, along with a central government policy of reducing mandatory coal stock requirements at thermal stations.