BHUBANESWAR: Amid rising concerns over severely deficit rainfall due to the El Nino phenomenon this year, Odisha has significantly curtailed hydroelectric power generation to conserve water for drinking and irrigation.
Despite having an installed hydropower capacity of 2,099.5 MW, the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) has been operating the reservoirs conservatively, generating only about 25 per cent of installed capacity. Average hydro generation during the past seven days has remained in the range of 500-520 MW, dropping to 341.58 MW on June 23 from 365.25 MW a day earlier.
OHPC sources said it is a deliberate decision to prioritise water conservation over maximising electricity generation. Although the state has the capacity to generate around 1,500 MW, average output has been maintained between 350 MW and 550 MW to preserve reservoir storage for drinking water, irrigation and downstream riparian requirements.
“Hydrology failures, changing climate patterns and reservoir siltation have reduced dependable inflows into major reservoirs. This has prompted OHPC to seek formal revisions to its design energy norms with the Water Resources department,” said a senior OHPC engineer.
The pressure is most visible at the Hirakud reservoir, where the water level stood at 600.85 feet against a full reservoir level (FRL) of 630 feet and a minimum drawdown level (MDDL) of 590 feet. Live storage was only 16.07 per cent of available capacity and continuing to decline. However, water availability in other major reservoirs, including Balimela, Upper Indravati and Machkund, remains broadly in line with levels recorded during the same period in previous years.
To safeguard critical reserves, OHPC has sharply reduced generation from the Burla (Hirakud) and Rengali hydropower stations, maintaining only the output required to support grid stability while avoiding excessive drawdown of reservoir storage.
According to the State Load Despatch Centre (SLDC), Odisha’s average electricity demand is around 6,000 MW, with peak demand touching 6,900 MW. Instantaneous peak demand reached 6,931 MW at 6.28 am on June 27 while the morning peak on June 28 stood at 5,598 MW.
The state’s own generation from thermal plants, hydropower, independent power producers, captive generating plants and renewable energy averages around 4,000 MW. The remaining requirement is met through Odisha’s allocation from central generating stations, supplemented by nearly 200 MW under power banking arrangements, said an SLDC officer.
A senior official of GRIDCO, the bulk power trading utility of the state, told TNIE that the state’s power supply continues to be comfortable despite lower hydro generation. Coal-fired thermal stations account for nearly 90 per cent of the state’s installed capacity, he said.