Kollam: Kerala is grappling with a sharp power crisis after electricity consumption surged past an all-time high of 117 million units, prompting unannounced load shedding across the state. Authorities have reportedly issued verbal instructions to enforce 15-minute power cuts during nighttime hours to manage the rising demand.
The situation had already begun unfolding in parts of the Malabar region a week ago, and has now spread to the Travancore and Kochi regions, where residents are experiencing outages lasting 10–15 minutes. Despite this, officials from the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) insist that no official load shedding has been declared, describing the measures as temporary adjustments to stabilize the grid.
With the heatwave showing no signs of easing, officials warn that power restrictions could extend up to 30 minutes at night in the coming days.
Adding to the concern, heat alerts have been issued in 12 districts across the state. Palakkad, the worst-affected district, is expected to see temperatures soar to around 40°C over the weekend (Saturday and Sunday), intensifying both power demand and public discomfort.
