Prolonged dry spell hits power generation in Kangra district

Ravinder Sood

Palampur, January 17

The prolonged dry spell has adversely affected power situation in Kangra district. Power generation has come down as the state has not experienced rain and snow in the past four months. Not only Kangra but the entire state is facing such a situation after a gap of 17 years.

Situation grim

• Bassi power house at Joginder Nagar owned by the HPSEB is generating only eight megawatt of power per day as against its generation capacity of 66 megawatt per day due to poor flow of water in Uhal and Lambadug rivers
• Seven private hydel power projects situated at Palampur, Baijnath and Kandwari in Kangra valley have been shut following reduced flow of water in rivers

Because of the continuous dry spell, water flow in the rivers of the state is low which is leading to reduced generation in all power projects. The Bassi power house at Joginder Nagar owned by Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited (HPSEB), which feeds Kangra and Mandi districts, is at present generating only eight megawatt of power per day as against its generation capacity of 66 megawatt per day since flow of water in Uhal and Lambadug rivers feeding this power project is very poor.

Dheeraj Dhiman, Superintending Engineer, Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board, Generation Circle, Palampur, said similar was the situation in the small hydel power project of the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited situated at Binwa, Baner and Gajj of Kangra district, which were also functioning at its low capacity. The rivers feeding these projects had virtually dried up. He said if the state failed to receive good snowfall this year the power crises in the coming days could not be ruled out.

Seven private hydel power projects situated at Palampur, Baijnath and Kandwari in Kangra valley have already been shut following reduced flow of water in Binwa, Baner, Neugal and Awa rivers.

A senior officer of the state government said the state government was making best efforts to have the least cuts in the state. As per policy of the state government, the Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board Limited was buying power from outside to meet the winter’s requirements. He said in winter power generation reduced every year and the state bought power from outside. However, this year the situation had gone from bad to worse.

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