Fears of load shedding spark concerns in Udupi District industries

Udupi: With the recent increase in electricity rates, concerns about potential load shedding and additional burdens on industries have arisen in the Udupi district.

The district is home to 10,000 very small industries, 41 small/medium-sized industries, and 6 large industries. Some of these operate around the clock, while others are active only at night. Industries that run 24 hours a day have a substantial demand for electricity. However, daily power interruptions lasting one to one and a half hours in the evenings are causing significant challenges for these businesses. Many of them are forced to rely on generators, which impact both operational costs and production.

One of the key issues lies in the fixed rate load imposed on industries. The fixed rate varies depending on the electricity consumption of each industry. For instance, the minimum fixed rate has recently been raised from Rs. 256 to Rs. 360. This becomes a financial burden for small-scale industries such as groundnut processing factories, small rice mills, ice plants, and ice cream manufacturing units that do not operate year-round and face periods of shutdown. The fixed rate still applies during these shutdowns.

Load shedding has also become a common occurrence between 6 to 8 pm, a period of high electricity consumption in households, including television usage. As a result, the electricity supplied to industries is reduced during this timeframe, leading to ongoing load shedding. Fluctuations in power supply are also experienced in the morning and afternoon, with only slight improvements on Tuesdays. Complaints about frequent power cuts persist on other days.

Efforts to address these power challenges are underway, including the construction of feeders to meet increasing industrial demands and the establishment of a power station at Bajagoli. However, industries in older areas of the district are still grappling with power shortages. Requests have been submitted to the District Industries Center to address these issues and ensure a reliable power supply for rural industries.

Prashant Baliga, President of the District Small Industries Association, expressed concerns about the impact of load shedding and power cuts on industries and emphasized the need for government intervention. Nagaraja V. Naik, Joint Director of the District Industries Centre, echoed these concerns and highlighted the demand for increased power supply in rural areas of the district. The installation of industry feeders has also been proposed to alleviate the electricity woes faced by local industries.