Poor monsoon causes power cuts in Karnataka

{image-load sheddig_23072008.jpg news.oneindia.in}Bangalore, Jul 23: Karnataka Energy Minister K S Eshwarappa on Wednesday, July 23, said the state government has decided to enforce load shedding from this month till August to tide over the severe power crisis in the state.

Mr Eshwarappa, making a statement in the Legislative Assembly, said the department was forced to impose a load shedding of 20 per cent till this month end and 25 per cent during August. The government had also decided to peg power consumption at 100 million units a day in view of the power shortage caused by lack of rain, he said.The decision would be reviewed if the monsoon improved with sufficient storage of water in all dams in the state, the minister said.

It was estimated that the present power demand of the state was at least 128 mu per day with a shortage of about 26 mu a day, he said.

The minister said he would make an annoucement on the supply of power to the rural areas, where it has been very erratic, to help the farmers in particular, in a day or two.

Mr Eshwarappa said a 500 MW Thermal Power Station at Bellary would be inaugurated on July 28.

The government was planning to improve the present situation by taking up several long-term measures, including the implementation of a 2,000 MW power project in Chhattisgarh, he added.

UNI