Even With Dams Filled To The Brink, Flood-Ravaged Kerala Now Faces Power Cuts

Kerala is likely to face severe power shortage despite the dams filled to the brim after the recent heavy downpour in Kerala that resulted in floods reports The Times of India .

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) on Wednesday (5 September) imposed a half an hour load shedding in many parts of the state.

“This was following a decrease in power supply. Supply from NTPPC plant at Talcher in Odisha had been halved. Supply from Koodamkulam plant has also been stopped due to technical reasons. So, we lost 260MW. Some of the private power generating firm with which KSEBL has entered into a long-term power purchase have also cut down their supply,” TOI quoted KSEBL chairman and managing director N S Pillai.

The recent rains under the spell of the south-west monsoon had helped Kerala produce surplus electricity that it sold to Bihar, with the state sold it through the national power exchange.

KSEB data showed that the water storage in the state dams was at a five-year high with hydropower generation standing at 38.65 million units. Major hydro-generation reservoirs like Idukki were filled to full capacity.

KSEB had plans to use the surplus generation to mitigate the loss of Rs 7,570 crore in the last fiscal.

Also read: Dams Full, Surplus Power State Kerala Begins Selling Electricity To Bihar, Starts Clearing Debts