MYSURU: Energy Minister KJ George said here on Sunday that there is no question of load shedding in Karnataka at present, though the state is facing a power deficit of around 1,000 MW.
After the World Environment Day celebrations at the Mysuru Palace, he said the state has been facing a power shortage for the past seven months. Procuring power from other states is difficult even when the state is willing to pay.
The entire country is facing this problem. Still, the state government is managing the situation by procuring electricity from various states, he said. Measures are also being taken to increase power generation capacity within Karnataka, the minister added.
“If the situation worsens in the future, a decision will be taken after consulting with the chief minister. But there is no load shedding anywhere now.
There was a brief disruption in power supply for a day or two last week due to a technical issue. But adequate power is being supplied for both agricultural and domestic purposes,” he said.
On power supply to agriculture pump sets, he said electricity demand in the state has increased significantly.
Min vows more power supply for farmers
Energy Minister KJ George said, “When I came to power, the demand (for electricity in the state) was around 9,000 to 10,000 MW. It has now doubled to 20,000 MW,” he said.
A load-shedding of one hour a day has been implemented for agriculture pump sets over the past week due to the increased demand, he added.
“But we have decided to increase power supply to agriculture pump sets by one additional hour, from six hours to seven. It will be discussed at the progress review meeting to be held next month,” he said.
