JOIN USPower transmission woes in Karnataka, which is a part of the southern grid, is responsible for the repeated power failures in Goa, if the power minister of that state is to be believed.
Power failures have triggered public ire against the BJP-led coalition government there.
Repeated power failures in the state's coastal belt, especially in the South Goa district, sometimes as many as a dozen times a day, has forced the Goa power department to temporarily shut down power intake from transmission lines maintained by the southern grid in Karnataka and feed in power from the "more stable" western grid network via Maharashtra.
"There is a major problem in transmission of power from the southern grid via Karnataka. There are repeated breakdowns in the transmission from Karnataka, as a result of which we cannot initiate immediate repair work," Power Minister Nilesh Cabral told DH.
The minister said, "We will draw power only from Maharashtra for now. The state government has sought permission from the Power Grid Corporation of India for this purpose," Cabral said.
He said once the proposed 400-kv transmission line from Dharwad to an upgraded sub-station in South Goa's Xeldem area is drawn, the state will resume drawing power from the southern grid.
The new transmission line will pass through the districts of Dharwad, Belagavi and Uttara Kannada before reaching South Goa.
Goa purchases 1,000 megawatts (MW) of power per day and consumes 650 MW.