Time being consumed in the removal of soot from the underground Srisailam Left Bank Hydro Electric Station is delaying the works on phased revival of the power station, although the process of de-watering and temporary lighting arrangements have almost been completed.
According to officials of Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGenco), the task of soot removal and de-smoking of the underground power station has been handed over to an agency specialising in such works for speedy completion. “Removal of soot is necessary for taking up any work towards revival of the units to resume power generation since it acts as conductor for electricity. The floor, walls and roof are required to be completely cleaned to make them safe before commencing any revival work,” a top executive of the power utility told The Hindu.
It is learnt that the soot removal (cleaning operation) would take another 2-3 days and only then any work on the revival of the first two units of the 6×150 megawatt power plant, where a major fire on the night of August 20 left huge damage besides claiming nine lives including those of five engineers and two other employees of the TSGenco and two other employees of a private company engaged in the replacement of battery back-up system, is taken up. The sources stated that the first two units do not require any major equipment or implements for their revival.
“If everything goes according to our plans, the two units shall be in a position to resume generation at least by the ends of first two weeks of September although the plans is to bring them back in generation before that itself,” the official sources said adding that works of establishing permanent lighting system and re-installation of air-conditioning system would also go along with the works of revival of the first two units.
Even the units three and five too do not require any components to be imported from other countries and some equipment and implements required were available within the country itself, the sources said. For record, the hydel generation units were supplied by a major Japanese MNC and the loan for developing the project was also borrowed from a Japanese agency.
