New Delhi: The heavy rains in North India have impacted operations at hydropower plants for the past couple of days. Officials with hydropower companies said that power generation has been impacted by accumulation of silt.
Several hydropower projects in Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh have been shut for the past two days. Four plants of NHPC—Dul Hasti Hydro Electric Project (3 units of 130 MW each), Salal (6 units, 115 MW each) on the Chenab river in Jammu & Kashmir, Chamera II (3 units,100 MW each) and Chamera III (3 unitsmof 77 MW each) on the Ravi in Himachal Pradesh — are shut.
Rajendra Prasad Goyal, director (finance) at NHPC said the plants have been shut for the past two days amid concern that heavy silting may impact the turbines. They are expected to resume operations soon. He said that the halt has “partially impacted” power generation.
“Overground work on under-construction projects generally remains halted during the monsoon rains, while the underground work continues,” he said.
Two projects of SJVN in Himachal Pradesh also have been shut since Sunday morning, officials said. Nathpa Jhakri hydro electric project (1500 MW) and Rampur hydropower project on the Sutlej river have been shut since around 9.15 am on Sunday and may resume operations in a day or two. “Hydropower projects usually can operate with silt levels of up to 5000 ppm (parts per million). However, the silt level on Sutlej touched 30,000 ppm on Sunday and currently it is around 10,000 ppm,” said an official on condition of anonymity.
On Monday, Nand Lal Sharma, chairman & managing director, SJVN took stock of the situation. A company statement said that through video conferences, the CMD took stock of safety of men and material at Nathpa Jhakri and Rampur projects. He also reviewed the status of under-construction 210 MW Luhri Stage -I HEP, 382 MW Sunni Dam HEP, 66 MW Dhaulasidh HEP in Himachal Pradesh and 60 MW Naitwar Mori HEP in Uttarakhand.
Sharma directed the head of projects to constitute high-level committees, to closely monitor the situation at the areas around the projects. He further instructed concerned officials to take immediate action in case any emergency arises due to rainfall.
Another state-run hydropower major THDC, however, has not faced major impact of silting as its project is reservoir-based, said a company spokesperson. “Heavy rains at the start of the monsoon would help us fill the reservoirs,” the spokesperson said.
These projects supply power to a number of North Indian states and a prolonged closure of these plants may impact power supply. The incessant rains have resulted in loss of lives and destruction of property in parts of North India.
According to reports, around 40 people have lost their lives in landslides and other rain-related incidents in the past couple of days with Himachal Pradesh being one of the worst-affected states.
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Updated: 11 Jul 2023, 11:20 PM IST