CHENNAI: Amid a series of public protests over unannounced, frequent and prolonged power outages in various parts of the state, Minister for Electricity C T R Nirmal Kumar on Saturday attributed the power shortage reported over the past two days to a disruption in wind power generation.
Stating it on his official social media handle, Nirmal Kumar said the shortage was being experienced not only in Tamil Nadu but also in several other states. He added that the state had procured adequate power and that normal power supply has been restored across the state since Friday evening.
Meanwhile, the government, in a statement, said Tamil Nadu had witnessed an increase in power demand due to the prolonged summer this year. At the same time, reduced wind speeds resulted in lower-than-expected wind power generation, leading to technical issues such as voltage fluctuations.
To meet the increasing demand, the electricity board has taken steps to procure an additional 2,000 MW of power from various companies and the open market. At present, the power grid is reliable, and a team of senior officials is continuously monitoring the grid and power supply situation and issuing necessary instructions, it added.
It also said special teams had been deployed to restore supply in affected areas, while scheduled routine maintenance would be avoided as far as possible.
Consumers can contact the 24-hour Minnagam helpline at 94987 94987 for complaints.
For the past few days, power outages have inconvenienced residents, with several districts witnessing protests over the issue, particularly during the night hours.
The minister’s statements came after political parties, including the DMK, AIADMK and the AMMK, hit out at the government over failure to provide uninterrupted power supply to the people.
Leader of the Opposition Udhayanidhi Stalin on Saturday had even posted on X a collage of media reports on power outages across TN.
