THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Bogged down by acute power shortage, the KSEB has in place half-hour cyclic loadshedding across the state. According to Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed, loadshedding can be lifted, at the earliest, by June 25, when the Sabarigiri hydro-electric project is expected to resume operation. But there is a rider: the monsoon should intensify, filling the hydel reservoirs. At the moment, all the hydel reservoirs combined are only 13 per cent full, despite a full week of south-west monsoon.
The repairs at the Sabarigiri station has led to its total shut-down, resulting in a shortage of 340 MW daily. Additionally, the central supply, especially from the Koodankulam Nuclear Power Plant (KKNPP) and the NTPC station in Talcher, has been inconsistent over the past week.