Delays have hit the commissioning of a clutch of hydroelectric projects which could have helped Kerala tackle the soaring demand for electricity this summer.
Topping this list are the 60 megawatt (MW) Pallivasal Extension Scheme and the 40 MW Thottiyar scheme in Idukki district and the 24 MW Bhoothathankettu project in Ernakulam district, all of which have overshot their deadlines by several years. Although work on these projects has entered the final stages, administrative issues are holding back their completion, sources said.
At a meeting with Electricity Minister K. Krishnankutty on Wednesday, the KSEB unions had sought urgent steps to get the projects commissioned at the earliest.
