PATHANAMTHITTA: Electricity Minister Aryadan Mohammed has warned of sever power crisis in state unless immediate measures for setting up major projects are taken and the agitations against new projects stopped.Inaugurating the work on the Perunthenaruvi mini-hydel project at Chathanthara, near Ranni, on Sunday, Aryadan said that the state would plunge into darkness by 2021, if urgent steps for new major projects were not taken up.The Minister said that though the Union Government had sanctioned five million tonnes of coal for a new thermal power project of 1050 MW in 2007, hardly nothing could be done till date. The LDF Government withdrew the decision to set up the plant in Kasargod following strong opposition from the people against it, he said.The Athirtappally hydel project too had the same fate since it failed to get environment clearance, he said. The state needs 3,100 MW of power a day at present as against the daily production of 1,000 MW, he said.The deficit is met through borrowing energy from power plants and from other states, he said.The KSEB incurred a debt burden of Rs 1,350 crore towards buying power during last year. For thermal power from Kayamkulam, the state pays Rs 9.78 per unit and sells distributes at a low rate of Rs 3.38, Aryadan said.The state will get 240 MW from Koodamkulam project once the power line is set up, the minister said.Raju Abraham MLA, presided over the function. Anto Antony MP, inaugurated the public meeting. KSEB members Babu Prasad and Annamma John and chief engineer Viswanathan Nair, among others spoke.
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