From Our Special Correspondent
Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru

Bengaluru, Nov 4: Energy consumers - domestic, commercial and industrial – beware! There is no immediate relief from the chronic power crisis facing Karnataka in the recent months, thanks to the failure of monsoon and depletion of water levels in almost all hydel reservoirs.

The electricity consumers of the State capital, Bengaluru, who form the biggest chunk of energy consumers and also the major source of revenue, cannot expect any respite from the frequent power cuts, especially during peak hours.

The bleak energy shortage in Karnataka will continue and energy consumers in Bengaluru should brace for the present situation of frequent power cuts during peak hours at least till mid-January, says Karnataka’s Energy Minister D K Shivakumar.

The rural in rural areas is even more critical, said the minister explaining that the State Government was making all efforts to get additional power from neighbouring States to ease the situation.

He, however, feels that the power situation in Karnataka may ease slightly after mid-January.

With Karnataka facing a huge shortfall of 1800 MW of power daily, Shivakumar said there was little that the State Government could do improve the situation.

He said he would be participating in a two-day conference of Power, Renewable Energy and Mines Ministers of States and Union Territories at Kochi in Kerala, from November 6 and would try his best to explore the possibilities of getting power from Southern States.

"We have not been able to get any power from Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh or Kerala," he said.

The minister said the State Government would do its best to ensure power supply during peak hours from mid-January to enable the Students to prepare for exams without any worries.

Enraged over the frequent power cuts, legislators, heads of urban and local bodies have claimed that the people in villages have been protesting against them for frequent power cuts and have urged the State Government to make all efforts to improve the situation.

Unlike in the past, residents of rural and urban areas have been witnessing power cuts during rainy and winter seasons and repeated complaints to Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) have been of little help, Congress legislators said.

Legislators have expressed their displeasure over the management of power situation by Shivakumar, who chaired a meeting of elected representatives coming under the Bescom region.

The meeting was called to chalk out a strategy to tackle impending power crisis in coming months.
Shivakumar said the State Government was continuing efforts to procure power from other States and in the meanwhile was preparing a schedule of power cuts to enable the citizens to plan their work. The schedule of power cuts would be announced in the next 2-3-days, he said.

A few MLAs told reporters that they have opposed the Minister’s proposal on supplying seven hours of power on alternative days in rural areas.

It learnt that keeping an eye on elections to ZPs and TPs in January 2016, legislators demanded uninterrupted power supply in villages.

Shivakumar said the Bescom will explore the options of providing seven hours of uninterrupted power availability taluk-wise in districts under the Bescom region.