Karnataka is managing a power shortage of around 1,000 MW without imposing load-shedding, Energy Minister KJ George said in Mysuru, attributing the shortfall to wider electricity constraints and ongoing efforts to procure power from other states.
George told reporters on Saturday that the shortage had continued for nearly seven months and was not limited to Karnataka. Even when the state was prepared to purchase electricity, the required quantum was not always available in the market because other parts of the country were also facing shortages, he said.
“There’s no load-shedding in the State,” George said. He acknowledged a minor disruption lasting a couple of days during the previous week, but attributed it to a technical problem. According to the minister, electricity was continuing to be supplied for both agricultural and domestic purposes.
The situation places the state’s electricity procurement and generation capacity under pressure. The government is continuing efforts to buy power from other states while also working to increase the capacity of existing generation units, George said. The minister did not provide details of the additional generation capacity being pursued or the volume of power being procured.
The shortage also has an immediate operational dimension for Mysuru, where preparations are under way for Mysuru Dasara. George said adequate arrangements would be made to ensure uninterrupted power supply during the festival. The assurance covers both the event period and the wider electricity needs of the city, although no specific supply plan or procurement quantity was disclosed.
Karnataka’s position reflects the challenge of maintaining uninterrupted electricity supply when additional power cannot always be secured in the market. The minister said the shortage was a broader issue affecting more than one state, while the government was relying on purchases from outside Karnataka and upgrades to existing generation units to manage the gap.
George said the government would assess the situation if it worsened in the coming days and take a decision in consultation with Chief Minister DK Shivakumar. For now, the stated policy remains to avoid load-shedding and continue supplying electricity to agricultural and domestic consumers.
