Load-shedding has left the people of Hassan district harried.
Power disruption in the morning and evening has hit schoolchildren and office-goers hard.
Farmers, already reeling under drought, are not enough getting power to use irrigation pump sets.
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The Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Corporation (CESC) has announced 18 hours of load-shedding for irrigation pump sets feeders, 15 hours for rural areas, six hours for towns, and four hours for the district headquarters.
R. Sudha Manjunath, superintendent at a government first grade college, said: “Power disruption in the morning is affecting household chores. Breakfast is delayed and we don’t get hot water for taking bath. In the evening, children don’t get enough time to finish homework.”
Ever since unscheduled load-shedding has been in force, she has rearranged her household chores. “However, it becomes difficult when the schedule is changed without intimation,” Ms. Manjunath added.
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Business establishments too are feeling the heat. Internet centres have reported a fall in the number of customers.
Vijay Sharma, who runs an Internet café on M.G. Road in Hassan city, said: “We don’t even get enough power to charge batteries.”
The scene in rural areas is worse. Farmers are worried about losing their crops. “We don’t get power supply even for three hours a day. What do we do?” Raje Gowda, a farmer in Holenarasipur, asked.
S. Venugopal, CESC superintending engineer, said the demand for power in the district was more than 200 MW during peak hours. However, the allocation was between 100 MW to 120 MW. “We are managing with the available power. Additional unscheduled load-shedding may be enforced if it is required. The situation is similar across the State,” he said.
Mr. Venugopal appealed to industrialists to halt work during peak hours in the morning and evening to reduce the burden on the grid.
Local bodies too have been told to reduce the dependence on the grid.
“There are thousands of streetlights that consume a lot of power. Lights on alternate electric poles should be used. High-mast lights have been installed at many circles. Only two lights should be used in each circle to reduce consumption,” he added.