Thiruvananthapuram,10 September (H.S.)Kerala’s electricity restrictions will continue as the state grapples with a severe power shortage, Electricity Minister Sunny Joseph said. A new ‘Power-Cut Alert’ system will become operational on Thursday to give consumers advance notice of possible supply interruptions.

The facility is expected to be ready by evening, the minister said. The move follows growing complaints that electricity is being disrupted more than once in several areas during the restriction period, leaving households and businesses uncertain about the timing and duration of outages.

Thursday marks the tenth consecutive day of power cuts in Kerala. The restrictions are currently being imposed between 6.30 p.m. and 1 a.m., when electricity demand is high. The government is likely to continue the curbs until the end of September as it works to overcome the shortage.

Joseph blamed the present crisis on a lack of coordination under the previous government. Referring to remarks by former Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty, he said it was significant that the former minister had acknowledged that inadequate coordination had delayed electricity projects in the state.

The loss of a long-term power purchase agreement was also part of the problem, Joseph said. He thanked Krishnankutty for admitting the shortcomings and maintained that failures during the previous administration had contributed to the situation now confronting Kerala’s power sector.

The minister assured consumers that the government would act quickly to resolve the crisis. Until normal supply is restored, the alert mechanism is expected to help people plan around scheduled interruptions and reduce confusion caused by repeated outages.

Officials are expected to use the system to communicate the likely timing of power cuts in individual areas. The government has not yet announced a firm date for withdrawing the restrictions, but the minister indicated that efforts were under way to stabilise supply at the earliest.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman