News
|
Share this
Twitter
Digg
Del.icio.us
Slashdot
Furl
Yahoo
Technorati
Newsvine
Googlize this
Blinklist
Facebook
Wikio
Hear this text
Export PDF
Print
E-mail
From 15-11-2008, Karnataka will have 450 MW of additional power available for distribution. But this will not reduce the duration of load shedding in Bangalore and other cities. Scheduled load shedding for two hours in Bangalore, however, will continue. "But there won't be unscheduled load-shedding," energy minister K S Eshwarappa said on 14-11-2008.
In rural areas, currently load shedding is more than 12 hours on average. Eshwarappa said, “The situation is still far from okay as even after sanctioning Rs 400 crore to purchase power, the state is falling short of power. Hence, two hours of power cut is being imposed on city dwellers and twelve hours of power cuts on rural consumers from 14-11-2008’’. The government will also follow a timetable for regulating load shedding in rural areas. This will include supplying three-phase power for 6 hours and single phase power for 6 hours. This arrangement will continue at least till December 31,2008.
"The government will continue its efforts to buy more power from private producers in order to reduce the shortage. From 15-11-2008, the government will buy 250 MW from the central power grid under the barter system, 200 MW from GMR and 50 MW from Jindal power," he explained.
Eshwarappa said, ‘‘While technical snags continue to plague the generating stations, rains have not been as forthcoming as expected.’’ The total availability from three major reservoirs (Linganmaki, Supa and Mani) on Thursday stood at 5,524 MU as opposed to 7,866 MU during the corresponding period last year, a difference of 2,342 MU.
According to sources in the KPTCL, the state needs about 115 MU of power every day, which is expected to be met by generating 30 MU from hydel sources, 38 MU from thermal plants, 32 MU from central generating stations, five million units from renewable energy sources and 10 million units from other States.The state government, in its efforts to tide over the acute power shortage, is purchasing 10 million units of power a day at a cost of Rs 9 crore a day from various sources for the next one and a half months.
He said Karnataka was hopeful of the Centre granting Ultra Mega Power Project status to the 4,000-MW thermal power plant scheduled to come up at Kudgi in Bijapur. "We are also confident that the National Thermal Power Corporation will set up a 2,000-MW plant at the same place,'' he added.
Show/hide comments
Show/hide comment form
