Thiruvananthapuram, July 16 (IANS) Kerala is facing one of its most severe power crises in recent years as a weak southwest monsoon has drastically reduced water levels in the state’s hydroelectric reservoirs, forcing the return of load shedding and raising concerns over the government’s preparedness to tackle the growing electricity shortage.

With water storage in Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) reservoirs falling to just 29 per cent, hydroelectric generation has dropped sharply.

The state’s major reservoirs, including Idukki and Sabarigiri, are operating with barely a third of their storage capacity, compared to more than double that level during the corresponding period last year.

Domestic power generation has consequently fallen from 44.221 million units to 16.608 million units, severely limiting Kerala’s ability to meet demand through its own resources.

The crisis extends beyond the state’s largest projects.

Reservoirs at Sholayar, Idamalayar, and Kundala are also under stress, while Mattupatty has only 10 per cent storage remaining.

Generation at several projects dependent on the Sabarigiri system, including Kakkad, Allunkal, and Karikkayam, has virtually come to a standstill.

At the same time, Kerala’s daily electricity consumption has climbed to 88.64 million units, with 68.81 million units being procured from outside the state at high cost, and any disruption in external supply could lead to widespread blackouts.

Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph on Thursday acknowledged the gravity of the situation, stating that electricity consumption has increased sharply and that it is impossible to predict how long power restrictions will continue.

He said Kerala is also obligated to return electricity earlier procured under power exchange arrangements, while reduced allocation from the Central power pool has compounded the crisis.

The prolonged power cuts have, however, triggered a political storm.

Former Education Minister and CPI(M) leader V. Sivankutty mocked the United Democratic Front (UDF) government, posting on social media that while “the sun keeps people energized during the day, Sunny keeps them troubled at night,” a jibe at the electricity minister’s name and a reference to the nightly outages amid unusually hot monsoon conditions.

Rejecting allegations of administrative failure, Sunny Joseph argued that similar restrictions had been imposed during the previous Left Democratic Front (LDF) government and announced plans to expand battery energy storage capacity as a long-term solution.

The return of load shedding has sparked widespread public frustration, with power cuts affecting urban centres and even interrupting a public function attended by Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, highlighting the scale of the challenge confronting the government.

As reservoir levels continue to decline and no immediate relief appears in sight, Kerala faces an increasingly uncertain power situation in the weeks ahead.

–IANS

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