‘KSEB knows when my speech should end’: Power cut interrupts Kerala electricity minister’s address

Kochi: Kerala Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph got a taste of a power cut when electricity suddenly went off while he was delivering a speech at a function here.

The incident happened during the state conference of the KSEB Officers’ Federation. The minister was left standing in the dark, bringing his speech to an abrupt halt.

The incident assumes significance as Kerala faces a severe power shortage, with people bearing the brunt of unexpected power cuts.

Although he had to stop his speech midway due to the outage, Joseph responded to the situation with humour.

“Here, the KSEB officials know when my speech should end,” Sunny Joseph said while standing in the dark.

The minister said the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) had been forced to impose power restrictions multiple times due to a sharp rise in electricity demand across the state.

He said the current demand was more than 1,000 MW higher than during the same period last year. He added that he had held discussions with the KSEB chairman to address the ongoing crisis.

The construction of new buildings, increased use of air conditioners and fans, and the growing practice of charging electric vehicles at night have significantly raised electricity consumption during peak hours, the minister said.

The crisis has been aggravated by a combination of rising demand, lower power generation and a shortage of coal. Joseph said sufficient electricity was also unavailable in the day-ahead and real-time markets, where the board purchases power at short notice.

With power generation declining across India, electricity prices have risen sharply, he said. The board can purchase power at rates of up to Rs 10 per unit during the night.

Kerala currently generates only around 25 per cent of its electricity requirement. The minister also noted that no major hydropower projects had been launched in the state after the Idukki project.