Power crisis could have been averted

The country is facing the double whammy of high temperatures and increasing power shortages. One state after another has resorted to load-shedding and the situation might get worse as summer progresses. There are many reasons for the shortage, and the impact is different in different areas. There will be disruptions of life, work, business and industry and they are bound to create inconvenience and discomfort, and setbacks to the reviving economy. Demand for power has increased monthly and is set to rise further. But supply is falling short, and in April, there was a shortfall of about 1.5%. The present crisis is mainly due to issues related to the availability of coal.