Power scenario grim, but no load-shedding: Karandlaje

State Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje said though the power scenario in the state is grim, Karnataka can manage without resorting to load-shedding.

Interacting with reporters on the sidelines of a seminar organised to mark 150th birth anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda at Ramakrishna Mutt auditorium on Wednesday, she informed that due to drought, water level was low in many dams. "Never in the past 40 years, the state had faced such a drought," she said.

The state largely depends on hydroelectricity to meet its power requirements. But in Linganamakki, Supa and Mani dams, the water-level was just 80 per cent and 60 per cent respectively this year. The water-level at Linganamakki dam was 96 per cent last year, she said.

This means that the state is likely to face a deficit of 2,000 million units of power, the minister said. To compound miseries, the energy generated from wind mills too had dipped across the state, she added.

"On an average, we generate 1,500 MW from wind energy. But due to low velocity of wind this year, power generation has dipped to 100-200 MW," she informed. However, she was quick to add that the government has initiated steps to buy power in order to fill the gap between demand and supply.

According to an agreement, the state will receive 250 MW energy from Gujarat by January end. The state is expected to buy another 600 MW power from the Udupi Power Corporation Limited.

With Bellary second phase of Thermal Power Station at the threshold of being commissioned, another 500 MW of power is assured, she said. On the possibility of load shedding in order to overcome deficit generation of power, she assured that the government has no such plans so far.