JOIN USNearly a month after it shut down operations, Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) has started generating electricity.
As on Tuesday, the energy department was generating 332 MW from just one of the three units. Electricity generation started just two days back. The installed capacity of the plant is 1,700 MW. G Kumar Naik, managing director, Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL) said this was the first time the unit had stopped functioning because of water shortage.
“Unless water is released for irrigation, we cannot draw water to generate electricity. Since the Tungabhadra dam was worst hit, generating power was not possible. Tungabhadra is half the size of Almatti, but still there is not much water,” he said.
The reservoir capacity of Tungabhadra is 1,633 feet above mean sea level and as on August 29, its level was 1,621.27 feet.
“We are not sure how long the generation can be sustained. Till the state releases water, we will remain operational. Importance needs to be given to drinking and irrigation also,” said an energy department official who did not want to be named.
Meanwhile, Naik pointed out that as on Tuesday, power generation from wind alone was 1,700 MW which is the capacity of BTPS. Hence, ideally, the whole unit can be shut down and energy can be saved for the future, he said.