The recent bursts of low pressure rainfall in Orissa have failed to lift the sagging reservoir levels in the state and hydro power generation continues to be woeful.
Owing to the deficient monsoon, the average hydro power drawal is only 550 MW as against the normal drawal of 1000 MW during the peak monsoon season. It may be noted that the state's overall hydro power generation capacity stands at 2085 MW
“The hydro power generation has not shown any marked improvement despite the the recent low pressure induced rainfall in the state. On the whole, the reservoirs are only 40 per cent full. The reservoirs should be 60-65 per cent full by early September”, a highly placed official source told Business Standard.
The Rengali reservoir which has a water level of 114.35 metres is only 22 per cent full. Similarly, the Indravati reservoir has water up to 634 ft and is 58 per cent full. The Hirakud and Balimela reservoirs have a water level of 615.54 ft and 1481 ft respectively.
Normally, hydro power meets 40 per cent of the state’s power demand during the monsoon season. However, the deficient monsoon has taken its toll on the reservoirs levels which have gone down significantly, affecting hydel power generation.
Presently, the thermal power availability from the Central power station is 700-750 MW while that from the state thermal power stations is around 800 MW. The state is getting 500 MW from the Captive Power Plants and the Co-Generating Plants like Vedanta, JSL Limited and Arati Steel and this power availability is expected to go up to 700 MW by September.
“Sterlite which has already commissioned the first unit (600 MW) of its 2400 MW (4x600) would be feeding around 300 MW to the state grid by m-d-September. The 600 MW unit will be stabilized by October and thereafter we can get the entire power generated by this unit”, the source added.
The plunging reservoir levels due to deficient monsoon have pushed state to a position of power deficit. Presently, the state’s off-peak power demand is 2700 MW while the peak demand stands at 3300 MW. While the state has managed to meet the non-peak demand, it is reeling under a peak power shortfall of 400 MW.
To tide over the power deficit, the state is overdrawing power from the Central thermal power stations, said a top official of Grid Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Gridco).
Based on the Inter-State Generation Share, Orissa’s share from the Central thermal power stations stands at 550 MW presently but the state is actually drawing 700 MW.
