Faced with a power shortage, Karnataka Chief Minister, Mr D V Sadananda Gowda, indicated today that load-shedding was imminent in the state.

The timing and duration of the load-shedding would be finalised after discussions with officials by Monday, Mr Gowda told reporters here.

“We are making all-out efforts from our side (to ease the power crisis). We are doing whatever that can be done”, he said, adding, in “inevitable circumstances”, load-shedding had to be imposed.

The State government last week urged the Centre to allocate 500 MW from the unallocated share of central generating stations to Karnataka to overcome the crisis.

Situation worsens

Energy department officials said the situation has worsened due to shortage of coal to Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) in the wake of the Telangana stir which has hit production at Singareni Collieries Ltd in neighbouring Andhra Pradesh.

In addition, the coal being supplied from Western Coalfields Ltd and Mahanadi Coalfields was inadequate to run all the units of RTPS, where only five units — sometimes four — are able to be operational .

Karnataka has also urged Union Coal Minister, Mr Sriprakash Jaiswal, to supply an additional 10,000 tonnes of coal daily from WCL and Mahanadi to run all the eight units of RTPS.

Meanwhile, State BJP President, Mr K S Eshwarappa, who is also former Minister for Energy, said the State was not even fully getting the power allocated to it from central generating stations.

He said the Union Ministers from Karnataka, Mr M Mallikarjuna Kharge, Mr M Veerappa Moily and others, should exert pressure on the Centre to allocate additional coal stocks as well us allot more power from central stations.

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