Unscheduled power cuts are back in many places across southern districts for the past two days, haunting residents and industrialists alike. A Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) official told The Hindu here on Friday that there was a breakdown in power generation at a few power stations that resulted in long hours of power outage. “Any development in the power situation cannot be predicted at this point of time. We hope that normality will be restored in two or three days,” said the official.
There was no power cut in Kappalur Industrial Estate so far, said V.S. Manimaran, president of Madurai District Tiny and Small Scale Industries Association (MADITSSIA). According to KR. Gnanasambandan, former president of MADITSSIA, the industries can survive only a few days of power cut. Dindigul, Theni
Unannounced power cuts in Theni and Dindigul districts are a nightmare for residents and industrialists. “Due to unpredictable power disruption, students are unable to concentrate and prepare for examinations,” said Sankara Narayanan, a resident of Dindigul. Power supply was snapped for five hours continuously in Dindigul and six hours on its outskirts on Thursday till 11 p.m.
In Theni district, sources said the Tangedco officials had advised factories to scale down power consumption.
The wind power generation also has gone down abysmally. While the total capacity of windmills is 199 MW, the total production has dipped to 30 MW owing to low velocity of wind in summer.
Tuticorin Residents of Tuticorin have been left to bear the brunt of power cuts for two hours in the morning and two hours in the evening. Officials said windpower generation had come almost to naught, leading to the dismal situation. Increase in electricity consumption in summer was also a reason, they added.
Nagercoil Power cuts last for four hours a day in Nagercoil and rural areas witness power cuts for a longer duration. “Despite an order of the Kanyakumari District Consumer Dispute Redressal Forum passed in 1990 directing the electricity authorities not to enforce power cuts without announcement, the unannounced power cuts prevail,” said president of Kanyakumari District Consumer Protection Association S.R. Sree Ram.
(Inputs from M. Vandhana, K. Raju, Praveen Paul Joseph and P.S. Suresh Kumar)
