Guntur: Nagarjuna Sagar tail pond ready to generate power

Guntur: The APGENCO tail pond is getting ready to generate hydropower. AP will obtain 50 Mega Watts from the project and this would strengthen the power scenario in Andhra Pradesh.

Construction of Nagarjuna Sagar Tail Pond project near Satrasala in Guntur district was completed this February. Two units which can generate 25 MW of power each have been installed at the location. After receiving inflows downstream of Krishna river, APGENCO will ready itself to generate electricity at Tail Pond.

The tail pond construction was started in the year 2006 and was completed with Rs 858 crore funds. The Satrasala, 24 km from Nagarjuna Sagar dam, was allotted to Telangana state during state bifurcation. The AP got rights over the tail pond under the AP Reorganisation Act and now completion of tail pond is going to strengthen the power generation of AP.

This Satrasala tail pond has became bone of contention as Telangana is asking AP to give tail pond to Telangana state.

AP government opposed the proposal and deployed policemen to protect the tail pond from going into the control of the Telangana government. Recently Telugu Desam leaders led by Gurazala MLA Y. Srinivas Rao visited the tail pond and warned of dire sequences if the Telangana government tries to get control over the tail pond.

The absence of tail pond is restraining 700 Mega Watts hydro turbines at Nagarjuna Sagar dam from pumping mode operation. Usually the water used for generation of hydropower at Nagarjuna Sagar is released from the dam which decreases water levels in the dam. As much as 7 tmc ft of water can be stored in the tail pond and this water would be supplied to the dam to resolve the water shortage problem.

APGENCO superintending engineer V.D.L.N. Kumar said that two generators of 25 MW capacity will generate hydro power at tail pond after receiving water from Sagar dam. He mentioned that usually power demand is slightly low during the day hence water would be shifted into Sagar dam from tail pond during the day by using surplus power from the power grid. He further mentioned that during night, hydro power would be generated in the Sagar dam and water would be released into tail pond.

Mr Kumar said that 50 MW power would be available to AP due to starting of tail pond and APGENCO will start the tail pond soon after release of water from Nagarjuna Sagar dam.