The average water availability in the state’s 16 reservoirs has dropped to a historic low of 15 per cent, due to the weak monsoon. And, the KSEB is worried.
KSEB is faced with a tricky situation: The board either has to work its hydel stations at usual levels and risk drying up the reservoirs or rest its hydel stations and further strain its already weak finances by purchasing power from outside.
A desperate Board is attempting both strategies. Last July, the reservoirs were over 50 per cent full. Even in 2008, a year when the monsoon disappointed, the capacity was nearly 25 per cent.
During the last few days, hydel generation has been drastically pared down.
For instance, on July 22, it was 8.81 million units; on July 21, 8.48mu, and on July 20, 9.77mu. During the corresponding period last year, it was 20.5mu, 21.24mu and 21.70mu.
Hydel generation, too, has fallen to never-before levels. If average generation was 20.740mu in July 2011, it has fallen to 9.642mu this month. All this while, extra power has been purchased from outside sources like central generating stations and power exchanges at exorbitant costs ranging between Rs 10 and Rs 12 per unit. KSEB suffers a loss of Rs 7 to Rs 10 per unit.
The huge outgo in terms of power purchase seems to have forced a reversal of strategy. Hydel generation has been stepped up to 17.85mu, near normalcy, from July 23.
“The situation is so scary that if the hydel stations are worked at even less than the normal levels, the reservoirs will be sucked dry. Idon’t know whether KSEB can continue working its hydel stations,” a top KSEB official said.Even if the generation is restricted to below 10mu per day, the reservoir has water to generate electricity for not more than 50 days.
Source: The Deccan chronicle,25th July 2012