KSEBL needs professional leadership and long-term power planning: Expert

Thiruvananthapuram, Sep 16 (UNI) Kerala's latest power shortage should be treated as a structural challenge rather than merely a temporary mismatch between electricity demand and supply, as the crisis has exposed the State's vulnerability to external power shortages, volatile procurement costs and inadequate long-term planning, according to engineering physicist and power-sector expert K S Manoj. Mr Manoj, author of Smart Grid and Power System Automation, said the reported 700-900 MW shortfall, coupled with the possibility of procuring high-cost power from NTPC if the shortage continues, raises concerns over the financial exposure of Kerala State Electricity Board Limited (KSEBL). "The issue…