No load shedding imposed in Kerala, media misinterpreted advisory on power curbs: KSEB

The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) clarified that no load shedding has been imposed in the state, and criticised sections of the media for “misinterpreting” its official press release.

In a statement on Wednesday, KSEB said a high-level meeting had only authorised the Chief Engineer in charge of the Load Despatch Centre to impose power restrictions of less than 30 minutes, and only if the transmission and distribution network comes under unbearable stress due to high electricity demand. The board said this contingency approval was wrongly portrayed by several media outlets as confirmation of load shedding in Kerala.

The board said that despite summer rains in central and southern Kerala, there has not been a significant reduction in electricity demand. The state recorded a power consumption of 116.5 million units on Tuesday.

KSEB said that with the availability of 200 MW of power approved by the Regulatory Commission and the restoration of another 200 MW that had been disrupted from central generating stations, the board was able to ensure an uninterrupted power supply in most parts of the state.

Meanwhile, limited power curbs were required after 11.30 pm in parts of the Malabar region, including Kasaragod, Mylatty, Chakkittapara, Nadapuram, Sreekandapuram, Taliparamba and Thalassery, due to line overload.

Minor restrictions were also imposed in Areekode and Manjeri following overload on the Madakkathara-Elamkur line. In addition, brief power curbs were needed after 10 pm in the eastern parts of Kunnamangalam in Kozhikode due to excessive transformer load. No restrictions were required in any other parts of the state, KSEB added.