To ensure that power production at the Ballari Thermal Power Station (BTPS) at Kuditini near Ballari is not affected due to scarcity of water, the State government has promised to release water at the rate of 100 cusecs per day from the Tungabhadra dam.
The BTPS, with a total capacity of 1,700 MW, is facing acute shortage of water to run its three units – one 700 MW units and two 500 MW units.
Due to water scarcity, the BTPS has stopped generating power from its 700 MW unit.
Weak monsoon
In the wake of a weak monsoon on the one hand and the adoption of ‘off-and-on’ system to regulate and manage the limited available water stored in the dam on the other, the regeneration of water at Maralihalla in Koppal district, which is the main source of water for BTPS, has been affected.
Mrutyunjaya, Executive Director, BTPS, told The Hindu that owing to the limited availability of water at Maralihalla, the 700 MW unit had been shut. To overcome the water shortage, the BTPS had approached the State government to allocate water from the Tungabhadra canals to ensure that all the three units functioned, to which the government has positively responded.
“The government has ordered release of water at the rate of 100 cusecs for BTPS in the Left Bank Main canal continuously up to July to ensure that the power production at BTPS is not hit,” he said.
In addition, the State government has allocated 2.34 tmcft of water from the Narayanpur dam to help the BTPS overcome the shortage of water permanently.
“A detailed project report is being readied on laying a pipeline to draw water from the Narayanpur dam to the BTPS. The work is likely to be completed in about two years,” Mr. Mrutyunjaya added.
