Karnataka will restore seven hours of daily electricity supply for agricultural activities within the next three to four days, Energy Minister K.J. George said, while ruling out load shedding across the state.
Speaking to reporters in Mysuru on Sunday, George said the temporary reduction in power supplied to agricultural pump sets would be withdrawn. Farmers had been receiving one hour less electricity during a period of heightened demand, he said.
The minister attributed the short disruption to increased electricity demand coinciding with a breakdown at the Raichur Thermal Power Station. The plant has since been repaired, after which the state faced difficulty in maintaining supply for two days, according to his statement.
Karnataka is currently facing an electricity shortfall of about 1,000 megawatts, George said. He added that demand during the monsoon had reached 20,000 MW. The government would discuss further measures with the chief minister if demand rose beyond current levels, he said.
George said the state was not implementing load shedding, despite the supply pressures. The distinction is important for agricultural consumers because electricity for irrigation pump sets is supplied through scheduled hours, and even a temporary reduction can affect farm operations and the timing of irrigation.
The minister also said Karnataka was unable to arrange additional electricity through power exchanges even when funds were available. The state had earlier exchanged electricity with Punjab, Haryana and Uttar Pradesh, but those states were not currently able to provide the required power, according to his remarks.
Karnataka has continued supplying electricity to other states under existing agreements, George said, even though the state itself was unable to provide higher volumes during the monsoon. His statement did not specify the duration of the agreements or the quantity of power being supplied under them.
The restoration of the seven-hour supply schedule will depend on the state system sustaining adequate generation and procurement as demand remains elevated. George did not announce any change to the existing agricultural power policy or provide a revised schedule for individual feeders.
The immediate operational milestone is the minister’s assurance that agricultural pump sets will receive the earlier seven-hour supply within three to four days. Further action, if demand increases, will be taken after discussions with the chief minister, he said.
