Odisha may halt hydropower generation to prioritise drinking water, irrigation
The decision to suspend hydroelectricity generation with many reservoirs observed to have less than required level of water
In the face of Odisha receiving rainfall in excess of 96% in July, the state government has opted to adjust hydropower generation with a focus on meeting drinking water and irrigation demands. A government directive to the Engineer-in-Chief of the Water Resource Department on August 4 emphasized the immediate suspension of power generation if water levels fall below the critical threshold required for essential needs.
Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi had stated during a July meeting that ensuring sufficient water to cater to drinking water supply and agricultural irrigation was of utmost importance. The government is also concerned about the potential impact of the El Niño phenomenon on water storage levels compared to previous years. The Engineer-in-Chief has been tasked with continuously monitoring hydropower reservoirs 24/7, logging daily data on live storage levels, inflows, and depletion rates.
The engineers have been instructed to cease power generation without waiting for clearance if water levels in reservoirs drop below the predetermined threshold. With an installed hydropower capacity of 2,099.5 MW, Odisha has already begun precautionary measures during the post-summer period, reducing generation levels to below 30% of the installed capacity.
Written by urgent.news from The Hindu's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — it may contain errors, so check the original before relying on it.
