The State has a healthy storage level in its hydel dams to meet the power demand in the current season ending in May. As on Saturday, the storage is at 40% in 16 major dams. The new water year will begin on June 1 with the new rule curve level coming into effect. In the Idukki reservoir the storage is at 38%. The water level on Saturday was 2,340.24 ft and generation at the Moolamattom power house was 8.782 million units (mu).
A Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) official said the average power generation in Idukki was 9 mu and it had fallen after peaking over 13 mu. The power generation had to be scaled up to meet the demand in the State. Now, the Idukki reservoir had storage to generate 834.200 mu. The power consumption in the State on Saturday was 79.99 mu.
The storage in the hydel dams was sufficient to generate 1,663.917 mu. The storage level in the main hydel dams on Saturday was Idukki (38%), Pampa (52%), Sholayar (42%), Idamalayar (36%), Kundala (74%), Mattupetty (37%), Kuttiyady (45%), Thariyode (16%), Anayirankal (25%), Ponmudi (57%), Neriamangalam (66%), Peringalkuthu (29%), and Lower Periyar (72%). The power consumption in the State reached an all-time high of 88.417 mu on March 19.
The summer rain had also played a role in reducing power consumption. It resulted in a fall of eight to 10 mu in power consumption per day. The average power generation at Moolamattom had fallen from 13 to 15 mu to six to nine mu with the arrival of summer rain, said the official.
In safe position
KSEB Chief Engineer (Dam Safety) Supriya S. said 40% of water storage was a healthy level to meet the power demand till June. The India Meteorological Department had predicted normal monsoon this year, which would help in enhancing water storage in the coming water year, she said.
