To ensure that power generation is not hampered at the Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) at Kuditini near Ballari, owing to shortage of water, the State government has allocated around 0.21 tmcft of water from the high-level canal of the Tungabhadra reservoir, passing nearby.
The work of installing four pumps and laying of pipelines, which has commenced, is going on in full swing. The work is expected to be completed by October 17 and will ensure that at least one pump would be operated to draw water from the canal to the impounding reservoir within the plant premises, Mr. Mrutyunjaya, Executive Director BTPS told The Hindu .
The BTPS is meeting its water requirement by drawing the regenerated water at Maralihalla, located 35 km away in Gangavati taluk.
Owing to the low storage of water in the dam, due to failure of rains, the flow of water in the Maralihalla had dwindled considerably.
As a result, BTPS had to shut down the recently commissioned 700 MW unit and generating power from the other two 500 MW plants.
BTPS had requested the State government to allocate additional quantum of water to over come the shortage to which the latter had positively responded.
Mr. Mrutyunjaya was hopeful of lighting up the third unit (700 MW) unit and generate power to the full installed capacity of BTPS (1,700 MW).
