AP to downgrade power production

Following poor inflows into Krishna, power generation to be cut at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects

Hyderabad: As power supply is yet to be fully restored in three cyclone-affected districts of Visakhapatnam, Vizianagaram and Srikakulam in Andhra Pradesh, the State government has decided to downsize the power production at Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar projects.

According to sources, the decision has taken following poor inflows into the Krishna River from the irrigation projects in Karnataka. These steps were needed as the water level has to be maintained at both the projects to meet the drinking water supply to Telangana and Andhra Pradesh states till the end of May, 2015.

At present the Reservoir Water Level at Srisailam has stood at 862.20 feet against its full water storage capacity 216 tmc. However, to meet the energy demands, the seven power units on right side and six power houses on the left side of the project were generating power to its fullest capacity. This has resulted in irrigation officials discharging nearly 5.62 tmc of water into the river, downstream of the project. The officials of the Nagarjunasagar Project told to The Hans India that water levels have stood at 588.60 feet against the storage capacity of 307.87 tmc feet by the forenoon of Saturday. However, power generation at the project site too has been going on at its full capacity.

“But, if the power generation continues to be its full capacity of both the projects, it would not be possible to maintain the much-needed drinking water levels in both the reservoirs. This has prompted us to take a decision to downsize the power generation at Srisailam,” said the State Irrigation Minister Devineni Uma Maheswara Rao.