With Karnataka receiving just half the rainfall compared to what it received last year, the State’s dependency on thermal resources to generate power may have to continue. Usually, a good monsoon ensures adequate generation of power from hydel resources, thereby reducing the strain on thermal resources.
According to Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd (KPTCL), the Linganamakki hydel reservoir had 11.69 per cent storage as on Saturday, compared to last year’s 23 per cent on the same day. Similarly, Supa reservoir had 20.68 per cent (last year it was 23.74 per cent) and Mani had 14.08 per cent (it was 21.61 per cent).
As for the energy generated, while 533 MU was generated on Saturday from the Linganamakki reservoir compared to 1048 MU on the same date last year, 653 MU was generated in Supa (750 MU) last year and 137 MU from the Mani reservoir (compared to 210 MU last year).
The KPTCL’s Karnataka Load Dispatch Centre showed that against 7049 MW, the generation stood at 4320 MW.
Bangalore Electricity Supply Company (Bescom) Managing Director Pankaj Kumar Pandey admitted that the Escom was preserving a part of their hydel resources and running more on thermal compared to what they were we were doing last year.
“Hydel resources provide about one-third of the State’s generation and it is slightly lesser for Bescom – about 25 per cent. Usually, during the monsoon season, maintenance of thermal stations is undertaken. But if there is deficit rain, we will have to depend on thermal,” he explained.
While maintaining that there is no shortage as of now, Mr. Pandey said if the monsoon deficit continues, Bescom will have to purchase power from outside or in the worse case, resort to loadshedding. “But that question arises later is there is no adequate rain,” he added.
