The Transmission Corporation of Telangana Ltd (TS-Transco) has decided to strengthen the power transmission network keeping in mind the demand for the upcoming lift irrigation projects with an estimated cost of ₹6,000 crore by erecting new lines and setting up new sub-stations.
A detailed report on the Transco’s plans to meet the demand from lift irrigation projects was submitted to Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao here on Friday by Chairman and Managing Director of the power utility D. Prabhakar Rao. In the report, the Transco has estimated that the power requirement for all lift irrigation projects and schemes by 2020 would be about 11,500 MW.
Mr. Prabhakar Rao said the work on strengthening the transmission network for lift irrigation projects was being carried out parallelly along with the work on the projects. He explained to the Chief Minister that 10 sub-stations of 400 KV capacity, 24 sub-stations of 220 KV and 25 sub-stations of 132 KV would be required to meet the demand from the lift irrigation projects.
A separate wing headed by a Director and two Chief Engineers has been established for the first time in Transco to take the work load pertaining to the lift irrigation projects and to monitor the work progress constantly. Officials said that no efforts were made towards the provision of power supply to Pranahita-Chevella, the massive lift irrigation project planned by the previous government in combined Andhra Pradesh. The consumption of power for the existing lift irrigation projects, including Devadula and A. Madhava Reddy, was only 400 MW. With the completion of the new projects such as Bhakta Ramadasu and more stages of the ongoing projects — Kalwakurthy, Nettempadu, Koilsagar and Bheema, the consumption had gone up to 1,263 MW already, the Transco officials said. Stating that agriculture and farmers were the top most priority of the State government, the Chief Minister said on the occasion that by 2020, the budget would cross ₹2 lakh crore and the government would be in a position to meet the power bill of ₹10,000 crore for lift irrigation projects and another ₹7,000 crore for free power supply scheme to the farm sector.
The officials explained to the Chief Minister that engines (pumps) with the capacity of 139 MW would be used in Kaleshwaram project and there were no instances of using such high capacity pumps for lift irrigation projects across the world. The maximum capacity of pumps used so far in the State was 30 MW for Kalwakurthy, the officials said, adding that 139 MW pump would be used at Ramadugu to lift 3,200 cusecs of water for a height of 120 metres.
