'War must end': Kerala minister blames West Asia conflict for power crisis in state

Palakkad: Kerala is facing a growing power crisis as electricity demand rises sharply, Electricity Minister K Krishnankutty said on Monday. He linked the surge to an LPG shortage caused by the ongoing conflict in West Asia.

The minister said many households have started using induction cookers due to the lack of cooking gas, which has increased power consumption across the state.

“The war must end and rain should arrive. That is the expectation,” Krishnankutty told the media. He added that even one day of good rainfall could help ease the situation.

To manage the rising demand, the Kerala State Electricity Regulatory Commission has allowed the state to buy extra power from outside. The Kerala State Electricity Board has been permitted to purchase 250 MW of electricity daily until May 15.

Krishnankutty said there will be no load shedding for now. He also said it is too early to decide if electricity tariffs will be increased.

The minister added that efforts are being made to avoid a hike in power charges, even if it means reducing profit margins.

According to official data, Kerala’s daily electricity consumption reached 116.11 million units on April 17, the highest recorded this month. Peak power demand also touched an all time high of 6,013 MW.