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Formal load-shedding if dry spell continues for two more days

Special Correspondent

Eshwarappa attributes power shortage to deficient rainfall

Bangalore: Minister for Energy K.S. Eshwarappa on Tuesday said the State had been facing severe shortage of power on account of deficient rainfall in June following which the Energy Department was thinking of announcing a formal load-shedding should the dry spell continue for two more days.

As such, power cuts are the order of the day in most parts of the State.

The Government will consider announcing a schedule for load-shedding in a couple of days after assessing the situation with respect to rainfall as well as the demand and supply of power from thermal and hydel sources.

However, sources said that the Government may wait for some more days to announce formal load-shedding as there were still hopes of monsoon gaining momentum.

Despite the early onset of monsoon in Karnataka, the State has suffered 27 per cent deficient rainfall till June 29, according to officials of the Meteorological Centre here.

Mr. Eshwarappa, who chaired a meeting of top officials of the Energy Department, told presspersons that the State had been generating 98.66 mu a day against the demand for 105 mu. Coal stock at the Raichur Thermal Power Station was sufficient for a month, he said. He said the performance of power stations was much better compared with last year’s generation. But the inflow to the Linganamakki, Supa and Mani hydel reservoirs was less as their catchment areas had received poor rainfall.

The Minister said there was no proposal before the Government to purchase additional power from private companies such as GMR and Jindal apart from sugar units which had cogeneration plants. The department had spent Rs. 3,000 crore on power procurement during the summer.The sources said any improvement in the State’s power position largely depended on rain.

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