Kerala appears to be headed for a power crisis with the water level in the Idukki reservoir, which contributes nearly 45 per cent of the electricity produced in the State, at an abysmally low level.
A senior official of the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) told The Hindu on Monday that the present water level was one of the lowest during this period. The water level usually reaches the season’s peak during this period (June to December), but it was only 58.26 per cent of the total reservoir level on Monday. The water level has remained stagnant even as power generation at the Moolamattom power house is low. The inflow through the Periyar, the main tributary, shows a declining trend.
The Idukki reservoir is mostly reserved to meet the power demand during the summer season when consumption level reaches a high.
“By November-December, the water level in the reservoir reaches the maximum level of the season,” the official said adding that the release of the Mullaperiyar waters into Idukki seems to have no positive impact from Kerala’s point of view.
The present water level is one of the lowest in the past five years. In 2013, the water level had dropped below the present level. The water level on Monday was 2,364.1 ft, which was 2,379.72 ft the same day last year. Water level was expected to be high by the end of December as the basic storage level when the season began was high owing to good summer rain. However, the rainfall during the southwest and the northeast monsoons in the catchment area was poor, slowing down the pace of increase in the reservoir level. Compared to the earlier seasons, the northeast monsoon continued till December-end and the water level continued to increase a few days back. In the current season, the water level had increased till a few days ago as rainfall had continued. However, it could not make the desired impact on the dam.
