No more power cuts in Kerala, says minister after rain brings relief

Thiruvananthapuram: Kerala Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty has said that there will be no more power cuts in the state, as improved weather conditions have eased the recent electricity crisis.

According to the minister, the recent summer rains have significantly improved water availability, providing much-needed relief to the state’s power sector. The rains have helped boost hydropower generation, which had been under pressure due to earlier dry conditions.

He stated that the situation has stabilised to the extent that further power cuts are no longer expected.

Load shedding reduced significantly

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has also confirmed that load shedding has been reduced considerably. Earlier, the board had imposed scheduled power cuts of up to 30 minutes during peak hours between 6 pm and 12 am.

Officials now say that only minor, temporary regulations may occur in cases of system overload, rather than planned outages.

Another key factor in stabilising supply has been electricity received from the Kudankulam Nuclear Power Plant. Additional power inflow from the plant has helped bridge the supply-demand gap.

KSEB has indicated that the current shortage stands at around 200 megawatts, which is manageable under present conditions.

Criticism over power management

Despite the improved situation, there has been criticism of KSEB’s handling of resources. Some observers argue that higher water levels in dams over the past few years were not effectively utilised, contributing to the recent crisis.

The temporary load shedding also came as a setback to claims that Kerala had achieved electricity self-sufficiency in recent years.

The minister expressed confidence that Kerala will not face a power crisis in the near future if current conditions continue. With improved rainfall and external power support, the state’s electricity supply is expected to remain stable.