Power Crisis

Pak bans ACs to ease power crisis, issues new dress code

Islamabad: Grappling with power outages across the country, the Pakistan government on Wednesday banned the use of air conditioners in its offices from May 15 and introduced a "summer dress code" for employees.

Caretaker Prime Minister Mir Hazar Khan Khoso decided to impose the ban in all government departments and offices, an official statement said. Khoso directed authorities to introduce a new dress code for government employees to help them cope with the lack of air conditioning.

The dress code includes white or light coloured shirts and trousers or shalwar-kameez with waist coat. As a special concession, government employees will be allowed to come to work in "shoes without laces" or "sandals without socks", the statement said.

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Andhra Pradesh: Acute power crisis hits weavers

Hyderabad: The acute power shortage in Andhra Pradesh is hitting the largest worker sectors in the state's coastal region. Balla Agastya is a skilled weaver. His loom and his art have been inherited down generations. Weaving is the livelihood of thousands in coastal Andhra and Rayalseema. Their Gadwal sarees, their Jamdani and Kalamkari work sells across the country. A single bulb for the delicate threadwork and a fan in the...  

AP reels under acute power crisis despite crores being spent

Hyderabad: The Opposition in Andhra Pradesh has been accusing the state government of mismanagement as the state reels under power crisis. The question that remains to be answered is as to why the state is facing its worse energy crisis in 40 years despite crores being spent on setting up power plants. In spite of an installed capacity of 3,800 Megawatts, Andhra Pradesh produces just 500 Megawatts, buying power for...  

AP: Seven hours of free power to farmers a myth?

Hyderabad: In several districts Andhra Pradesh, the state government has not been able to keep its big promise of 7 hours of free power to farmers, pushing desperate farmers to take matters into their own hands, often with tragic consequences. Chief Minister Kiran Reddy's claim seems far fetched with Andhra Pradesh facing an acute power crisis. CNN-IBN travelled to Medak, where seven hours of free power is a myth, claim...  

AP: Power woes threaten survival of small and medium scale industries

Jeedimetla: Andhra Pradesh is reeling under its worst power crisis, and bearing the brunt of it are small and medium scale industries, which are losing 70 per cent of their revenues due to lack of electricity. Several industries are now standing on the brink of shutting down. Once a bustling industrial town, Jeedimetla now wears a grim look. Andhra Pradesh's power crisis had brought small and medium scale industries to...  

Andhra Pradesh govt hikes electricity tariff by 15 pc

Ignoring opposition protests and despite an unprecedented electricity shortage, Andhra Pradesh government on Saturday hiked the electricity tariff by about 15 per cent, imposing over Rs 6,000 crore burden on people. ...  

Andhra battles electricity cuts, govt says use solar power

Political protests, indefinite hunger strikes and fierce debates in the state assembly, Andhra Pradesh's opposition parties have trained all their guns at the Chief Minister, accusing him of mismanaging the deepening power crisis in the state. Proving seven hours of free electricity to farmers and reducing tariff burden on consumers, however, remain their key demands. ...  

Lack of fuel reason for power shortage: Electricity Authority

Shortage of fuel - both gas and coal - was the only reason for the growing electricity scarcity in the country, particularly in the south, Central Electricity Authority Chairman AS Bakshi said in Hyderabad on Saturday. "Coal shortage will continue for at least 3-4 years though we have adequate reserves. Domestic coal supply to power generating stations has increased by eight per cent in 2013, but still there will be...  

Budget yatra: Industry in Coimbatore hit by power crisis

In the run up to the Budget Session CNN-IBN's Budget yatra travels to Coimbatore, which is hailed for its industrial growth. But with India's growth numbers dipping drastically in the past few years, has Coimbatore been affected? ...  

More power projects need of the hour in Tamil Nadu: Meenakshi Mahadevan

Tamil Nadu faces a severe power shortage problem. With the state reeling under regular and prolonged periods of power cuts, DMK supremo Karunanidhi has just launched a statewide agitation. Meenakshi Mahadevan of CNN-IBN joined IBNLive readers for an interaction on what the government's plans to do to tackle the situation and if a solution is in sight. ...  

TN: Power shortage hits hospitality industry

Chennai: There is a glimmer of hope for power authorities in Tamil Nadu after the Cabinet approved a bailout package for the sector on Monday evening. From a 2,000 mega watt crunch a year ago, the state now suffers a deficit of almost 4,000 mega watt. The electricity crunch in Tamil Nadu that hit homes and industries has now hit the hospitality sector. Hotels and restaurants have been asked to...  

AP power crisis: YSR Congress calls 3-day bandh

Hyderabad: The YSR Congress party has called for a three-day bandh in the state to protest against the ongoing power crisis in the state. The protest will be launched on Tuesday and end on Friday. The state is facing an unprecedented shortfall of almost 50 million units per day of power. The Congress government imposed a five-hour power cut in major cities including capital Hyderabad to tide over the deficit,...  

AP power crisis: BJP calls for all-party meet

Hyderabad: The BJP on Saturday demanded that Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy call an all-party meeting to discuss the prevailing power crisis in the state. Acute power shortage in the state has been affecting its development. It has severely affected functioning of industries, particularly small scale units, which posed a threat to their 20 lakh-odd employees, BJP leader Bandaru Dattatreya told reporters in Hyderabad. Accusing the Congress Government...  

Power crisis: AP govt imposes 5-hour cuts

Hyderabad: Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister Kiran Kumar Reddy is prescribing a desperate dose to tide over an unprecedented shortfall of almost 50 million units per day. The deficit has forced the government to impose a five-hour power cut in major cities including capital Hyderabad. Even as the state government blames deficit rains and decline in gas-based power generation, farmers are bearing the brunt of the shortfall. One of the farmers,...  

'Northern grid came close to tripping on Monday'

Lucknow: The Northern grid came close to snapping on Monday but for the timely intervention of Uttar Pradesh Power Corporation Limited, state government officials said. The grid frequency dipped close to 48.8 at around 10.48 am on Monday as against the recommended frequency of between 49.7-50.2, Principal Secretary (Power) Anil Kumar Gupta said. When the grid tripped on July 31, the frequency was 49.7. As officials saw another "black out"...  

No blackout of states for grid collapse: Moily

Karan Thapar: Hello and welcome to Devil's Advocate. Twenty days after the devastating power grid failure, do we have a clear idea of what caused them and how does the government view the wider power scenario? These are the two key questions I shall discuss today with the new Power Minister, Dr Veerappa Moily. Dr Moily, let's start with the two consecutive power grid failure at the end of July....  

Karnataka: 1000 MW more power to ease crisis

Bangalore: The commissioning of a new 400 kV transmission line from Udupi to Bangalore will ease the power shortage in the state by the month-end. But the monsoon could play spoiler. The coal-fired Udupi Power Corporation plant is all set to transmit an additional 500 MW of power through the new line, Energy Minister Shobha Karandlaje told reporters here on Tuesday. The first unit of the UPCLs 600x2 power plant,...  

Power cuts highlight diesel needs, price problems

New Delhi/Singapore: Diesel use in India temporarily spiked during two days of massive power cuts which left hundreds of millions of people without grid power, highlighting increasing clamour for the fuel to back up a rickety national grid. Hot weather across the country and a shortfall in annual monsoon rains had already pushed demand as the grid struggles to meet peak consumption. The government has had to halve prices for...  

I performed successfully as power minister: Shinde

New Delhi: Sushil Kumar Shinde, who ended his tenure as Union Power Minister on Tuesday after collapses of three power grids for two consecutive days, on Wednesday claimed his performance at the ministry was "successful". Shinde, the new Home Minister, who was handling Power portfolio till Tuesday, rejected the criticism that the collapse of Northern, Eastern and Northeast grids, which saw half of the country's population going without electricity, showed...  

Kolkata: 'Shinde answerable for the power cut'

Upset with the severe power cuts they witnessed on Monday and Tuesday, people say that though Sushil Kumar Shinde is no more the power minister, he is still answerable for the crisis. ...