With reduced inflow into the major reservoirs of the state owing to a delayed monsoon, many areas in the state are facing daily power cuts lasting up to six hours.
According to sources, areas coming under almost all Energy Supply Companies (ESCOM), excluding, BESCOM are facing shortages of close to 300 MW leading to power cuts in various districts like Belgaum, Haveri, Dharwad, Mysore, Chamarajnagar, Mandya, Hassan and Madikeri.
Inflow into the Linganmakki reservoir which supports KPCL’s Sharavati project has been generated 4.9 Million Units (MU) in June 2012 as compared to 268.1 MU last year. This has led to the production of 520 MW as against the capacity of 1035 MW at Sharavati on Sunday. The trouble has worsened with the nonfunctioning of 6,7 and 8 units of Raichur Thermal Power Station. Despite rainfall in certain parts of the state, there still exists shortage of power supply in five ESCOMS . Mangalore ESCOM officials confirmed that since the area has been receiving sufficient rainfall in the last few days, there has been no need to cut power to MESCOM areas.
Officials of Hubli ESCOM also confirmed that load shedding would stop from Sunday night since the area has received sufficient rainfall. “We had been cutting power for two hours at night for the last three to four days but will stop it from Sunday. We were facing a shortage of 6 MU daily and the problem was worse in Belgaum and Bagalkot where a lot of IP set users live,” said an official from HESCOM on the conditions of anonymity.
However, Gulbarga ESCOM officials stated that the district had to face four hours of load shedding on a rotation basis throughout different areas since there was a shortage of upto 50 MU per day. “Rains were predicted but it did not happen. Hydel power generation has gone down and so we are resorting to load shedding,” said GESCOM Chief Engineer Sadashiv. A similar situation is affecting customers of Chamundeshwari Electricity Supply Company (CESC) where load shedding to up to four hours is being enforced as the result of a 300 MW shortage, according to officials.
With coal linkages for Unit II of the Bellary Thermal Power Station facing delays, three units of RTPS not functioning and the rain playing a spoilsport, the state seems to be headed for darker days ahead.