Water scarcity forces shutdown of two Raichur power units

Earthmovers used to facilitate water flow from Krishna river

The seventh and eighth units of the Raichur Thermal Power Station stopped functioning on Wednesday owing to water scarcity.

With the first unit being taken up for annual maintenance, power generation has come to a standstill at three units of the 1720MW-capacity RTPS. Moreover, even the generation in the remaining five units too has been brought down so as to facilitate technical maintenance.

Of the six pumps which supply water to the thermal power station, five are not being utilised due to water scarcity. Earthmovers have been pressed into service to provide a gradient facilitating smooth flow of water collected in patches of River Krishna.

RTPS Executive Director C Venugopal said that 200 cusecs of water was required per day to keep all the eight units functioning.

The water availability would go up if 350 cusec of water is released from Gugal barrage at least for 10 days.

On the other hand, as much as 1,000 cusec of water is being released from Narayanapura dam since February 10.

As the Gugal barrage has dried up completely, water would reach the RTPS pumphouse, only after the barrage overflows. Venugopal said that the water may reach the pumphouse by Thursday.

Sand mining and unlawful withdrawal of water from the river have been depriving RTPS of its water share.

According to sources, a team of officers from RTPS has met Deputy Commissioner S Sasikantha Senthil seeking to check illegal activities all along the riverbed.