Date:18/04/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/04/18/stories/2007041813270400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Rain brings down power consumption in State

Special Correspondent

Tuesday's power consumption was around 115 mu

It has come down from a high of 130 mu

BANGALORE: After several months of power shortage, the State had surplus power on Tuesday due to the reduction in power consumption following rainfall in several areas. But consumption is bound to shoot up sharply if there is a dry spell even for a couple of days.

Officials at the Load Despatch Centre told The Hindu that Tuesday's power consumption was expected to dip to about 115 million units (mu). In fact, power consumption had come down to 106 mu on Sunday. But it did not reflect the actual position with respect to demand as industrial and commercial establishments are closed on Sunday.

Power consumption dipped to 116 mu in the past few days from 130 mu. This was partly due to load shedding enforced by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. following a shutdown of generating units at Raichur Thermal Power Station.

On Tuesday, power consumption stood at around 115 mu without load shedding, officials said.

Sources in the KPTCL said that heavy rainfall in Andhra Pradesh had also played a role in easing the power supply situation in Karnataka. The pressure on the southern grid had come down with Andhra Pradesh not overdrawing power from the grid.