With power situation improving following good rains, Karnataka minister for energy K S Eshwarappa today said urban areas would get 22 hours of supply a day from August one, while load-shedding in rural ones would be to the extent of 14 hours. In Bangalore, the Bangalore Electricity Supply company (Bescom) has said it would make all efforts to provide 24-hour power supply, he told reporters here. Rural areas would get power supply for five hours in case of single-phase and five hours for irrigation purpose (IP sets) which means they would face load-shedding for 14 hours.
As per estimates, Karnataka is expected to produce 117 million units and 119 MUs a day in August and September as against the demand of 120 MUs and 125 MUs, respectively. The state is getting on an average only 800 MWs from the central grid as opposed to its quota of 1,543 MW, resulting in shortage, the Minister pointed out.
Eshwarappa said special maintenance squads have been constituted at taluk-level to quickly address repair work. He said gram panchayats have been directed not to keep pending electric bills to be paid to the Energy Department. “Gram Panchayats owe the Department a due of Rs 1,200 crore.” Three solar units of 3 Mw capacity each are coming up in Kolar, Belgaum and Raichur. The Raichur one is expected to be operational from November one, he said.
