BANGALORE: With the state already reeling under drought, darker days may be in store for it as four units of the Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) went offline on Sunday and Monday for want of water. The shortage of power is expected to be around 900 MW. The immediate shortage for Bangalore is expected to be around 300 MW, according to BESCOM officials.
“We get close to 300 MW out of the total 900 MW generated by RTPS. We are trying to source power from other states along with purchasing wind energy to meet the demand,” said chief general manager (Electricity) A J Hosamani. He added that the peak load for BESCOM areas on Monday evening was 3,500 MW.
RTPS requires one lakh cubic metres of water a day for optimal operation of its units; officials also resorted to employing motors to pump water from the fast depleting river to ensure enough water for the units.
“The recent drought has depleted water supply to the plant from the Almatti reservoir. We have been forced to shut down four units of the plant,” said RTPS executive engineer Nagaraj.