Storage in Sabarigiri reservoirs grim; hope in forecast of revival of monsoon
Storage in the Kakki-Anathode twin reservoirs and the Pampa reservoir of the Sabarigiri project, the State’s second largest hydroelectric project, is grim, with alarmingly poor inflow from the catchments owing to the scattered monsoon.
Mohammed Ali Rawther, Member (Transmission and Generation), Kerala State Electricity Board, said here on Thursday that power generation at the Moozhiyar power house of the project had been limited to just 1.75 million units (mu) a day for the past few weeks. The 280-MW power house had got the capacity to generate 6.7 mu a day.
Mr. Rawther told The Hindu that the storage in the reservoirs on Wednesday was 70 million cubic metres (mcm), enough to generate only 45.15 mu (energy equivalent) of electricity. The Kakki-Anathode twin reservoirs got only 5.85 per cent of its storage capacity of 477.6 mcm.
If the five generators at the Moozhiyar power house ran in full capacity, the present storage at Sabarigiri would be sufficient only for five days. However, the Board had streamlined the functioning of the power house, against the backdrop of the lean inflow from the catchments, by bringing down generation.
Mr. Rawther said the inflow to the KSEB reservoirs across the State on Wednesday was enough to generate only 9.7 mu. Though the Board had anticipated a total inflow to generate 740 mu in June, the first 27 days of the month brought water to generate just 299.79 mu.
He said the State’s hydroelectric power generation on Wednesday was only 14 mu against the 20 mu planned earlier. Consumption had gone up to 55 mu a day against the previous year’s 45 mu. Mr. Rawther said the State was getting an enhanced Central share of 26 mu a day, against the previous year’s allocation of 16.18 mu. The KSEB reservoirs in the State had recorded a cumulative storage of 679 mu in 2008, 756 mu in 2009, 982 mu in 2010, 1,481 mu in 2011 and 470 mu in 2012 as on Wednesday.
Mr. Rawther said the KSEB was expecting good rainfall with the Meteorological Department forecast of the monsoon strengthening from Friday.
Source: the Hindu, 29 June 2012