BENGALURU: A bleak situation awaits the people of Karnataka -- the state is heading not just for a water crisis but a power crunch as well, with poor monsoon showers and scarcity of water. According to energy department officials, the demand for power has seen a rise, but generation is constrained. They said they have already tapped the maximum potential in hydro resources and cannot ask for more as water is required for drinking and to maintain storage levels.
Peak power demand in the state in August, a monsoon month, is much higher than what it was in the summer months of March and April, officials said. “With no monsoon in sight and temperatures rising, electricity consumption in the month of August is equal or more, compared to April. So we are working on what needs to be done for energy conservation, as every unit of power saved is a unit of power generated. We are depending more on renewable energy and power purchase,” said an official.
As per records, the highest peak demand recorded in Karnataka was 16,950MW on August 25, 2023. On August 29, 2023, peak power demand recorded till 11am was 16,118MW, while in March, peak power demand was 16,110MW.
According to Bescom, peak power demand in Bengaluru in summer was 7,800 MW on April 20, and on August 25, it touched 7,981 MW. Officials said energy generation just about matches demand. As per energy department records on August 28, the state’s hydro generation was 26.25MU and thermal power generation was 41.35MU. Total power consumption in the state was 288.83MU, which includes power from other sources.
“We have regular interactions with weather department officials. Every time they issue a rain alert and forecast rainfall, our hopes rise, but there is no rain. We cannot draw more water for power generation as it needs to be stored for the entire year, with the monsoon coming to an end,” said an energy department official.
The Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC) said storage in the Cauvery basin as on August 29 is 71.42tmcft (62%) and Krishna basin is 335.82tmcft (79%).