Power crisis set to worsen across State

Faced with a power shortage of 840 megawatts (MW), the energy crisis in the State is likely to worsen in the coming summer days if the dependency on hydel power stations continues for long. 

The current demand of 160 million units (mu) has left a peak load gap of about 15 mu, thanks to the water supply crisis at the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS).
The State’s hydel power plants are in full swing to meet the shortage,  contributing 52.44 mu, which is nearly 45 per cent of the current total power demand.

Experts feel that this scenario might prove detrimental to the State in the long run.
“We have been receiving weather reports of poor rainfall during this year. If the power situation continues in the similar manner, there might be a severe crisis,” said an official. Officials at RTPS, whose four units each with a capacity of 210 mw have shut down, claimed it would resu­me functioning by We­dnesday evening with water released from the Narayanapura dam.

But department so­urces feel the water mi­ght not reach the well of RTPS as farmers might divert it to their farms adjoining the river.

“There is very little water in the dam. The problem may persist until the arrival of monsoon,” said an official.

Official optimism

KPCL officials, however, maintained that the hydel reservoirs are filled to the brim and can meet the requirement until monsoon arrives.

“The pressure on the hydel reserves is so much that on March 6, the Sharavathi hydel power station produced 23 mu, a record in 48 years since being commissioned in 1964,” said an official.

“The hydel reserves have sufficient water and can meet the requirement for next 65 days. We are confident that we will receive monsoon by June 10,” he said. Ravi Kumar, Managing Director, Karnataka Power Tr­an­smission Corporation Limited (KPTCL), however, ma­in­ta­ined that the crisis has eased.

The official said the two units of the Udupi thermal generation station that had been closed for maintenance, resumed generation on Tuesday. “We will be getting 600 MW of power (13 mu). We are getting 1,500 MW of power from the Central grid and about 250 MW of power from Chhattisgarh,” he added.

Besides, he said, the State also gets 400 MW from the co-generation units in the State, and has a long-term power purchase agreement with Jindal.
“This crisis is temporary. By Wednesday morning, it will be normal,” he added.