KOZHIKODE: With Kerala witnessing a sharp rise in electricity demand and no matching increase in generation, the state government is examining all available options to prevent the shortage from worsening, including purchasing power at higher rates if required.
Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said the government was closely monitoring the situation and would take necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted supply as far as possible. He noted that Kerala's power requirement had climbed by nearly 1,000 MW compared with the previous year, putting additional pressure on the existing supply system.
The minister said the prevailing crisis was not limited to Kerala, with several other states also struggling to meet demand. In the event of a prolonged shortfall, the state would have to explore expensive power purchases, he said.
“If additional power has to be procured at a higher rate, the government will work out the necessary arrangements,” Joseph said, stressing that the circumstances had also exposed the need to rethink the state's long-term electricity policy.
Appealing to consumers to cooperate, the minister urged households and institutions to avoid unnecessary consumption. He specifically called for restraint in the use of decorative and ornamental lighting during night hours.
Minister said KSEB officials had been directed to alert consumers in advance wherever a power interruption was likely. He maintained that the government was taking every possible step to deal with the crisis and said a fair assessment of the circumstances would show that the authorities were responding to the situation responsibly.
Earlier in the same speech, Minister had recalled former Chief Minister A.K. Antony's description of the Electricity Minister's post as a “crown of thorns”. Joseph said he was determined to transform that crown of thorns into a crown of gold.
The minister also pointed to the earlier cancellation of a power purchase agreement introduced during the tenure of former Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed. According to Joseph, the consequences of that decision are becoming increasingly visible under the present circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has begun exploring assistance from power-surplus states in northern India. Senior board officials are scheduled to hold discussions with authorities in different states in an effort to secure additional power.
The immediate situation remains challenging, particularly as Kerala is yet to receive the proposed 200 MW power loan from Madhya Pradesh. Joseph said that if the shortage continues, completely ruling out power restrictions may not be possible, although the government would make every effort to minimise their impact.
The state's electricity crisis has also produced an unexpected moment of irony for the minister himself. On September 11, Joseph was addressing the state conference of the KSEB Officers' Federation at Asir Bhavan in Ernakulam when the venue suddenly lost power.
The outage came as Joseph was speaking about the government's position that the electricity sector should remain in the public sector. He had also referred to a letter sent to the Centre opposing a proposal to split the department into three separate companies.
The minister had just received applause from the gathering when the lights and sound system went off. After waiting for some time without the systems being restored, Joseph eventually stepped away from the stage.
