The Kerala State Electricity Board has stepped down generation in view of the day-time fall in demand despite comfortable water level in all reservoirs attached to hydroelectric generation stations.
The measure is aimed at preserving water at the reservoirs to meet the increase in demand in future, KSEB sources said. The State was getting a comfortable Central share of four million units a day at Rs.4.50 a unit.
Full capacity generation was being carried out only at the generation stations where the reservoirs were overflowing - at Poringalkuth, Kakkayam, Kallarkutti, Pampa and Thariyode.
Power was being generated at Moozhiyar, Moolamattam, Edamalayar and Thenmala only during peak hours.
Consumption
The sources said the consumption stood at about 50 MU a day, which was above 55 MU the same time last year. As demand fell, hydropower generation was being limited to about 25 MU a day and the import of energy from more than 40 MU during the last week of May to about 24 MU.
During the first week of June, hydropower generation was about 14 MU due to paucity of water in the reservoirs though the consumption was in the vicinity of 50 MU.
During the first week of May, demand was about 60 MU a day and the hydropower generation had dipped to about 10 MU a day.
Water level in some reservoirs was rising and if they overflowed, the generation stations attached to these reservoirs would be operated at full capacity, the sources said. But that may not be possible at Thenmala as one of the turbines had again developed a snag.
Meanwhile, the comfortable power situation will not warrant any reduction in tariff, including that imposed on the domestic category consuming more than 600 units during a bimonthly bill period.
The sources said the tariff in Kerala was one of the lowest in the country. In addition to that, the average rate of realisation was more than the rate of supply. However, there were indications that the thermal surcharge could be withdrawn.
