Rains: Shivanasamudra hydel plant in full force

Power generation at Shivanasamudra hydroelectric station in Malavalli taluk in the district has increased, thanks to the good monsoon and more than 50,000 cusecs of water being discharged from Kabini and Krishnaraja Sagar (KRS) reservoirs. The power generated in the year 2017-18, including up to July of 2018-19, is said to be 225 mega watt (MW).

The generation capacity of Shivanasamudra hydroelectric station, the first-of-its-kind in Asia and established in 1902, is 42 MW.

The Shimsha hydel power station has a generation capacity of 17.2 MW.

However, power generation at the stations had come down, owing to acute shortage of water in River Cauvery and had generated just 143 MW in 2016-17, the lowest in the last 10 years.

With the region experiencing good monsoon this year, the water discharge has increased and the power station has generated 225 MW till now, in 2017-18. The production, which was 4 MW in April, increased to 16 MW in June. As the KRS and Kabini reservoirs reached the maximum level and discharge into the river was more, the production was 20 MW in July. Similarly, the power production, which was 1 MW in May last year, increased to 5 MW this year, at
Shimsha.

Speaking to DH, Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) executive engineer Siddappaswamy said, “The power generation reduced due to deficit rains in the last four years. It had become difficult to run even four turbines. With good inflow and outflow, all the 12 turbines are functional now. However, it is not possible to generate more power, just because water flow is more,” he said.

Karnataka Power Corporation Limited superintending engineer Shalini said, there is a proposal before the government to establish an additional unit (seasonal plant) with a capacity of 345 MW, planned to be used in times of heavy rain, at an estimated cost of Rs 2,000 crore.

A survey has already been conducted. The proposal is awaiting approval from the Environment department, she said.