State to restrict power usage

Ban on afternoon shows in single screen cinema halls and multiplexes across the city, restricting office timing, cutting power supply to neon signs, putting severe restriction on using of power at malls, illuminated hoardings and others, lights-off at heritage structures like Gateway of India, Asiatic Library are some of the measures which the state is contemplating to save Mumbai from load shedding. These measures were discu-ssed at a meeting called by Chief Secretary D K Sankaran today.

With senior energy ministry officials on Wednesday to find out ways and means to save Mumbai from power cuts. It is likely that, state cabinet which is meeting later today in the evening will give its nod to these measures.

An official in the energy ministry said, Tata Power Company and Reliance Energy Limited (REL) after much effort were able to source only 300 Mw of power when city is facing power shortage to the tune of 400 Mw.

So there is no option but to adopt the conservation methods which will save city from power cuts.

Though the official couldn?t ascertain how much power can be saved by these measures he claimed, "real purpose of adopting these measures is to send a message to all Mumbaikars, unless we save power, the dark days lie ahead for us".