Power supply curbs to continue

Power supply curbs to continue

KOCHI: Power supply disruption in the State during the evening peak hours is likely to continue for a day or two more as generation at the Moolamattam power house is crippled following Monday's fire in an underground generator chamber.

Only two of the six 130-MW generators at Moolamattam could be operated on Tuesday, KSEB officials said. The power house, which is part of the Idukki hydroelectric project, contributes roughly two-thirds of the power generated in the State. Because of the shortage in generation, the KSEB has resorted to load-shedding during the peak hours of 6.30 p.m. to 11.30 p.m. The load-shedding is for half an hour to one hour. Of the six generators, one had already been shut down for maintenance when another broke down in the fire on Monday evening. Officials hope that the other generators could be operated by Wednesday or Thursday.

The condition of the two engineers who suffered extensive burns in the fire continues to be critical. Merin Issac (26) and K.S. Prabha (50), who were shifted to a private hospital here from the medical college hospital at Kolencherry late Monday night, had suffered more than 50 per cent burns, hospital sources said. Though conscious, both Mr. Prabha and Ms. Issac were in a critical state. Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed visited the hospital to console the relatives and colleagues of the engineers.

He told reporters that the government would order a probe into the Moolamattam explosion. The KSEB, he said, would try to draw more power from the southern power grid to partially compensate the loss of power generation at Mooolamattam.

Technical error

A Correspondent writes from Kattappana: Muhammadali Rawuthar, chief engineer (generation), said the blast occurred due to some technical error in the control panel of the fifth generator. On Monday afternoon, some errors were reported in the 220-kV connection line and these were rectified by evening. The accident occurred when the synchronisation of the generator and the line was done. A team of KSEB engineers conducted an inquiry into the blast. Idukki Collector E. Devadasan visited the power station.