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METRO FORUM

Power and the city

With the failure of the monsoons in several parts of Karnataka, the State is facing a power crisis. Government officials say that power generating units are producing 20 per cent less than their capacity. The crisis has resulted in frequent power cut s.

MetroPlus asked city residents about their views on the ongoing crisis and whether power cuts were the only solution. Most people said the government had no choice but to revert to load shedding to tide over the crisis.

They felt that the government must enhance the thermal power generation capacity and look at harnessing alternative sources of energy.

Many felt that though the failed monsoons are responsible for the situation, the government must allot timings for power cuts to ensure that the people do not have to suffer much.

Many people blamed populist policies like free power to farmers and other groups and the massive amounts of electricity used by malls and shopping complexes as responsible for the situation.

They felt that the government must reduce the load shedding and look for alternative energy sources. We sample some of the responses

It is a sad situation. We are forced to manage with power cuts for more than three to four hours everyday. The lack of a regular schedule for load shedding also creates problems. The government must buy electricity from other States.

Pradeep

Engineer

The power crisis has affected daily routine. Students and housewives find it difficult to cope up with the power cuts often lasting more than a couple of hours. The government must build thermal power plants and look for alternatives.

Jaythrit

IT designer

The frequent power cuts have created a lot of problems. The entire schedule gets disrupted due to the abysmal power situation. The government should fix load shedding timings. Wastage of electricity must be discouraged and invite penalties.

Ramesh

Auto driver

The government must take strict action against those wasting power. Giant electronic billboards must be switched off. Malls must also use energy saving fluorescent bulbs, instead of arty tubes, which consume a great deal of electricity.

Nagesh

Software engineer

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