Bhakra Beas Management Board generates 43 pc surplus power during April-May

Vijay Mohan

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, June 1

The Bhakra Beas Management Board (BBMB) has surpassed its power generation target for the first two months of this fiscal by about 43 per cent.

During the months of April and May, the BBMB generated 2,065.44 million units of power against the target of 1,447 million units fixed for it up to May 31 by the Central Electricity Authority.

The drastic reduction in the demand for power following the lockdown in wake of the COVID-19 pandemic notwithstanding, there was no change in the BBMB’s generation activities.

Hydropower is the cheapest source of electricity as compared to other sources such as thermal power.

The plant availability from April 1 to May 31, excluding routine maintenance and upgradation, was 99.66 per cent, and transmission system available for this period was 99.81 per cent.

This has been possible due to judicious operation of reservoirs as well as efficient operation and maintenance of the generating units with the availability one of the highest plant, according to a statement issued here on Monday.

The BBMB has an installed capacity of 2918.73 MW— the third-largest installed hydropower capacity in India and it also transmits power to the Northern Grid through a widespread network of transmission lines.

With its projects lying on the Sutlej and Beas rivers, it has a total of 28 generating units in its six powerhouses, benefiting five states.

The BBMB’s primary role is managing irrigation and electricity is the secondary product of its dams, the primary ones being at Bhakra and Pong.

With summers being at its peak and the official filling season due to snowmelt having commenced, the water level in Bhakra’s reservoir this year is lower than normal, while in Pong it is almost double.

According to the Central Water Commission, that monitors the water levels in all major reservoirs in the country, the available storage at Bhakra at present is 22 per cent of its total capacity against the past 10-year average of 26 per cent. At Pong, the storage is 48 per cent as compared to the 10-year average of 25 per cent.

With the snow cover in Bhakra’s catchment this year being close to double than what it was last year, the BBMB authorities are expecting higher than normal water inflows from snow-melt during this summer.

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