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• Faced with a severe shortage of power and increasing consumption in the City, the Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) has started educating commercial consumers, who have been using more than their share of power, before cracking the whip.Bescom, which is taking up the drive this week, held a session for malls and commercial establishment associations on Sunday to educate them about using power efficiently. “On Sunday, we checked the lines on Brigade Road and MG Road. But right now, we are focusing on educating commercial consumers. The drive started on Saturday, but it will be intensified from Monday,” said Ashok Angadi, Chief Engineer, Bescom.
• At present, power shortage in the State has touched 1,212 MW per day. The situation has worsened due to the tripping of 250 MW Raichur thermal plant since February 1 and failure of the Jindal power plant, which used to supply 300 MW of power to the state grid. “We have to take measures to tackle the shortage and the best way is to reduce wastage,” Mr Angadi said.The energy department has revealed that the commercial consumers have often been found to draw more than their quota of power. If a commercial consumer, who is allotted 2 KV of power, overdraws even by 0.5 KV the feeder stations will get overloaded, resulting in power shortage to nearly 1,000 houses. Bescom does not want to take punitive measures against commercial establishments from the beginning, but aims to educate them first on proper usage of power. The Brigade Shops and Establishments' Association has already extended support and promised Bescom to bring down power consumption by 30 per cent.
• “Bescom officials asked us to take measures to bring down the load. We already have been making efforts to bring down the total consumption by 30 per cent,” said association president Suhail Yusuf. As part of the drive, Bescom will check the top ten commercial consumers and those consuming more than their contracted load will be penalised.“Such power auditing is necessary in the State as there is power starvation, and those overdrawing from the lines must be sternly warned. The power companies, however, should first educate the consumers, instead of taking harsh measures,” said J.R. Bangera, President, Federation of Karnataka Chamber of Commerce and Industry.

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