A long time being consumed in the removal of soot from the underground site of 6×150 megawatt Srisailam Left Bank Hydro Electric Station (LBHES) is delaying work on the revival of at least the first two units of the hydel station before the end of this flood season.
Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TS-Genco) has planned to revive units one and two of the hydel station to resume power generation during the present flood season itself after the plant was damaged heavily in the fire on the night of August 20. The mishap has claimed nine lives, including those of five engineers, two plant assistants and two employees of a private firm.
The power utility management has assessed initially that the cleaning exercise in the plant site, mostly the soot removal, would take less than week’s time and handed over the task to a private agency. However, the soot removal is yet to be completed even in the second week. The Genco has also appointed a three-member committee for the speedy execution of revival works with the power to take on the spot decisions.
Senior executives of the power utility stated that the work on restoration of permanent cabling work for lighting and other infrastructure needs such as air-conditioning, automatic pumping (de-watering) of seepage water in the tunnel-based hydel station and work on the gas insulated sub-station were in progress.
“But, the soot removal will hold key in restoration works since it acts as good conductor of electricity and taking up any major work using power is not possible without cleaning the soot completely from the site. Otherwise, it would be inviting trouble as any breakage in the insulation of power cables would result in mishap,” a senior executive told The Hindu .
The cleaning exercise is likely to take one more week, even if everything goes on schedule. The Genco officials said they have procured all material for the revival of the first two units and the delay was due to cleaning of the site.
COVID hits work
Meanwhile, the inquiry into the fire by a five-member internal committee of the power utility has been hampered by COVID-19 with the hospitalisation one member after he was tested positive for coronavirus and another member forced to be in home quarantine following his wife testing positive for the virus. “The team has only made two visits to the power plant and it needs at least three more visits to complete the inquiry at the site,” a senior official stated.
