Kerala Plunged into Darkness Again: Power Restrictions Trigger Sharp Criticism; ‘People Paying the Price for Planning Failure’

Thiruvananthapuram: Widespread power restrictions across Kerala have sparked strong criticism against the state government and the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB), with the Opposition accusing the administration of failing to anticipate the crisis despite repeated weather warnings.
Although the State Electricity Minister has maintained that the situation is “not a severe power crisis” and that future decisions will depend on the progress of the southwest monsoon, critics argue that the government failed to take timely preventive measures.
“The situation is difficult but not alarming. Water storage in our reservoirs has fallen from around 60 percent to nearly 20 percent,” the minister said, attributing the shortage to deficient rainfall and a sharp rise in electricity demand.
However, Opposition leaders point out that the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had warned months in advance that the El Niño phenomenon could lead to below-normal rainfall. They argue that several other states secured electricity through advance market purchases, avoiding similar shortages.
Power restrictions have now affected both urban and rural areas, with consumers reporting outages of up to two hours during the evening and night. While the government had stated that restrictions would be limited to peak demand hours, residents say electricity supply has been interrupted at various intervals between 7 p.m. and midnight.
The state has recently signed an agreement with the Solar Energy Corporation of India (SECI) to procure 200 MW of electricity. However, energy experts believe the additional supply is insufficient to bridge the current deficit of nearly 600 MW. They also warn that emergency purchases from the power market could impose a significant financial burden on the state.
The Opposition has further claimed that during a similar period of deficient rainfall under the previous LDF government, effective advance planning helped avoid power cuts. They note that in July 2025, when peak evening demand reached between 3,500 and 3,600 MW, the state managed to maintain uninterrupted supply without imposing restrictions.
The issue also drew public anger after power outages were reported in several areas during live broadcasts of FIFA World Cup matches, prompting demands in the Assembly that electricity supply be maintained at least during the games.
The growing debate now centres on whether Kerala’s current electricity shortage is solely the result of poor rainfall or a consequence of inadequate planning and delayed decision-making. With public dissatisfaction mounting, the government’s handling of the crisis is expected to remain a major political issue in the days ahead.