Power cuts in Odisha are likely to continue till June 2016 due to shortage of water in various reservoirs in the state, Energy Minister Pranab Prakash Das said here on Saturday.
"We are facing a shortfall of 500-550 MW because of a drastic fall in hydro power generation, triggered by the declining water level owing to scanty rainfall. Therefore, we have no choice but to continue power cuts till June 2016," Das told media persons.
The minister said the state is now receiving 750 MW of hydro power while it used to generate about 1,750 MW of hydro power.
He argued that keeping in mind the emergent needs and future scarcity, the state government has to be visionary and save energy accordingly.
"If it does not rain adequately over the next one month, the situation is going to turn really precarious," the minister warned.
Das said the power cuts were a sort of a national phenomenon, saying that Delhi, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are also facing loadshedding.
While urban areas would experience power cuts lasting for 2-3 hours a day, rural pockets would experience it for 3-4 hours in different phases during the course of the day, said sources.
Energy secretary Suresh Mohapatra said the peak power demand in the state has touched 4,000 MW.
