KARNATAKA: In Uttara Kannada, the dams are thirsty and the turbines have fallen silent. An erratic monsoon has caused power generation from the Kali Hydro Electric to drop, drastically.
The Kali Hydro Electric project, the first to be executed by the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL), consists of five dams and four power houses with an installed capacity of 1,225 MW.
At present, it is not able to generate more than 631 MW a day.
The project consists of five dams - Supa gravity dam (101 m), Kodasalli Dam, Kadra Dam, Bommanahalli pickup dam from where water is diverted to the Nagzari power house, and Tattihalla storage dam. The Tattahalli storgae dam replenishes the Bommanahalli Dam and helps integrate operations of other reservoirs.
The water level in all these reservoirs is much less when compared to the corresponding period last year. At Supa, the water level is at 541 metres - midway from the dead storage level (the minimum required for power generation) of 520 metres and the full reservoir level (FRL) of 564 metres.
The project has four power houses at Nagzari near Ambikanagar, Ganeshgudi near Supa reservoir, Kodsalli and Kadra. At present, due to low water levels, Ganeshgudi has been shut.
The Nagzari power house has six units of 150 MW each. Each of these units, which have a capacity to generate 3.6 Million Units (MU) a day, at present, produce 0.284 MU a day.
Ganeshgudi has two units of 50MW each. Power generation, however, has been stopped here as the authorities want to increase the water level in the Supa reservoir.
The Kadra Hydel Project, which has three units each with a a capacity of 50 MW each. While 1.2 MU can be generated at Kadra, the actual generation is 1.12 MU a day now.
Similarly, the three units at Kodsalli, each with generating capapcity of 35 MW, can generate 0.90 MU a day. However,only 0.112 MU are being produced at Kodsalli. Power generation has been reduced here keeping in mind the huge demand for electricity during the summer, said sources.