It has been planned to increase power generation capacity at the Sharavati hydroelectric power station as part of its golden jubilee celebrations, Minister for Energy D.K. Shivakumar has said.
The golden jubilee of Sharavati power station will be celebrated next month. The Sharavati power station has a capacity to generate 1,035 MW power from its 10 units. It would be possible to enhance the capacity by modernising the units. Officials of the Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd., had been asked to conduct a detailed study in this regard and submit a report to the government, he told presspersons during his visit to Sharavati hydroelectric power project site in Sagar taluk on Saturday.
The cost of generating power at Sharavati station was 24 paise a unit. At present, the government was purchasing power from private sources by paying Rs. 5 a unit. It was possible to save tax payers' money being spent on purchasing power by modernising the Sharavati station, he said.
The State government would soon take a decision on providing uninterrupted power supply to Karur and Barangi hoblis in Sharavati backwaters region. Both the hoblis had turned into an island after the construction of a reservoir at Linganamakki for generating power. The government would soon take a decision to relieve people living in the Sharavati backwaters region from power cuts and load shedding. The facility would be extended to other parts of the State where people displaced from power generation projects had been rehabilitated, he said.
To a query, he said that permission from the Department of Forest was awaited for providing power to Shettyhalli in Shivamogga taluk where families displaced by the Sharavati hydroelectric power project had been rehabilitated.
The village is located in the Shettyhalli sanctuary. Although the government had released unds for providing power connection to the village, the Forest Department had raised objections against drawing of power lanes in the forest area, he said.
The Department of Energy would fill 11,500 posts of lineman shortly. Earlier, persons with a pass in ITI course were considered for the post. This time, it had been decided to relax the rule related to educational qualification. Persons with a pass in 10th standard could apply for the post, he said.
