Power from Chattisgarh gives power

Meanwhile, the Chattisgarh government has promised to provide 100 MW of energy to the power-starved Karnataka to ease the crisis. Chattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh yesterday called on Karnataka power minister K S Eswarappa and gave an assurance to this effect, sources in Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd said here.

While power cuts in urban centres range from three to four hours everyday, in rural areas it will be from six to eight hours. In Bangalore city, loadshedding will be for two hours.

"We were left with no option than to resort to power cuts as the state is currently facing a shortage of around 700 Mw everyday," said a minister, who is a member of the cabinet sub-committee constituted to handle the power crisis. However, official sources said loadshedding will be resorted to with immediate effect.

The decision has put the 48-day-old BJP government in an awkward situation as it came only a day after chief minister B S Yeddyurappa announced free power supply to 1.5 million irrigation pumpsets across the state.

However, power department officials countered: "Right now, availability of power is a problem. If we have to tide over the crisis, we need to do some belt-tightening with regard to consumption."

Depletion of the state's hydel resources and government's inability to enhance power generation capacities are the reasons attributed for the present crisis. The inflow into the hydel reservoirs usually start in June, but the situation has been different this year. The catchment areas have not received adequate rains.

For instance, Linganamakki reservoir current storage is only 19.47 per cent of its capacity as against 62.41 per cent during the same season last year. "If we do not resort to loadshedding, the state power grid will collapse as the frequency of power supply will fall due to increase in power consumption," sources added.

On the other measures being taken to overcome power shortage, the committee has decided to purchase power from independent power producers and also go in for online purchase of power. This apart, the state will also request the Centre to increase the state's share from the central grid.