No let-up in power crisis

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With no end in sight to the power crisis, the half-hour, cyclic loadshedding during evening hours will continue in the state. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has also taken steps to purchase 335 mw from private traders as a temporary measure, Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed informed the Assembly on Monday.The KSEB hoped to get 200 mw from Tatas and 135 mw from another private trader. But the state was still be short of 470 mw during the peak hours between 6.30 p.m. and 10.30 p.m. Kerala required 2,900 mw during the peak hours. The total availability, even by including 64 mw and 85 mw from the diesel power plants at Kozhikode and Brahmapuram respectively, is only 2,430 mw, the minister said, urging the consumers to use electricity judiciously. The government was also trying for additional power under the unallocated share from the centre, he said.The KSEB had called off daytime loadshedding after partial supply - amounting to 110 mw - was resumed at the Talcher plant in Orissa. The total Central allocation for Kerala is 1134.33 mw, but the state was getting only 970 mw daily when the crisis hit. This saw a further fall in the state’s share. As on October 2, the 970 mw has gone down by 300 mw more.All hydel stations in the state were running at full available capacity, and orders have been issued to repair damaged units at Moolamattam and Moozhiyar power stations on a war footing, Aryadan Mohammed said.