Brace for… load shedding

But lights ON for 100 days of DKS

Mysuru: Brace for load shedding, sometimes announced and on many occasions unscheduled, as Karnataka grapples with severe electricity shortage and maintenance outages at major  power-generating stations.

According to a public advisory, the State is facing an acute power shortage due to insufficient power availability. Load shedding is expected between 5 am and 9 am and again from  6 pm to 10 pm.

Consumers have been asked to cooperate, while senior citizens and those with health concerns have been advised to take necessary precautions in advance.

In addition, maintenance work at the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) and Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) will result in temporary outages lasting 10 to 15 days. Several parts of the State are likely to be affected during this period.

For further information,  citizens can contact the Helpline at 1912.

Ironically, at a time when people are dealing with prolonged power cuts and the heat, the State Government’s decision to illuminate major tourist attractions to mark 100 days of Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar’s administration has drawn criticism.

The Information Department has planned a four-day special illumination from tonight (Sept. 10) at major tourist destinations and heritage sites, including the Mysore Palace and Krishna Raja Sagar (KRS) Dam.

The monuments will be lit up with LED displays in the colours of the Kannada flag: Yellow and red.

Other landmarks to be illuminated include Vidhana Soudha, Tungabhadra Dam, Alamatti Dam, Bengaluru’s Town Hall, K.R. Puram Hanging Bridge and the Virupaksheshwara Temple Complex at Hampi.

The programme will also feature sound-and-light shows and 3D mapping projections highlighting the Government’s development initiatives and the achievements of its flagship    ‘Five Guarantees.’

‘Not dependent on power grids’

Officials told Star of Mysore that illumination at Palace will be powered by heavy-duty diesel generators and will not draw power from electricity grid. At KRS, illumination will use power generated at the dam and not depend on external electricity grid.

It may be recalled, Mysore Palace and other major landmarks in Karnataka were illuminated in pink on the night of Aug. 30 to mark three years of ‘Gruha Lakshmi’ Scheme.

The latest illumination programme comes at a time when 111 taluks have officially been declared drought-hit, while survey work is underway to identify other areas hit by drought. This has also raised questions over the use of public funds/resources at a time of power shortage.