Rain a boon for PSPCL, generates 144 lakh units daily at Ranjit Sagar Dam

Aman Sood

Patiala, July 19

The increase in water level in Ranjit Sagar Dam has proved to be a boon for Punjab State Power Corporation Limited (PSPCL) as it has managed to run all four units in the last 10 days.

By operating all the four units of 150 MW each, the PSPCL has not only avoided possible spillage, but managed to generate 144 lakh units on daily basis.

While the Bhakra Beas Management Board manages operations at Bhakra and Pong dams, it is the PSPCL that manages Ranjit Sagar Dam.

“Now, all the four units (150 MW) are generating 160 MW each. On Tuesday, 153.4 lakh units were generated. On Monday, the figure was 153.97 lakh units,” said a top official.

At present, the water level in the Ranjit Sagar Dam is 523.65 metres, up by 10.5 metres. The maximum increase of 5.7 metres took place on July 9. The inflow in the reservoir on Tuesday was 27,454 cusecs while it was 25,660 cusecs on Monday. The outflow from the machines is 21,322 cusecs.

As per the Central Water Commission, the reservoir has a live capacity of 1.959 billion cubic metres (BCM) against a total capacity of 2.344 BCM, which is 84 per cent of the total capacity as against the last year’s 37 per cent. The water level in the Bhakra and Pong reservoirs is at 1,645.7 ft and 1,373.2 ft, respectively.

“The only cause for concern is the rain at higher reaches, which fill the dams faster than expected. Usually, water levels rise till mid-September, but heavy spells have already filled the dams near to their capacity,” said a senior official.