Thiruvananthapuram: The state’s citizens are looking at a possible water shortage in summer and higher power tariffs because of poor rains. The inflow into the state’s reservoirs has become perilously low. It has dried up to 7.41 million units on October 17, worse than even during the drought year of 2013. The state’s biggest reservoir Idukki is only 48 percent full, a shockingly low level as reservoirs are normally flush after the southwest monsoon. During the corresponding period last year, the Idukki reservoir had water to generate 1250 MU, now its waters are enough to generate only 950 MU. Compared to last year, the storage in all the reservoirs in the state is lower by 253 MU.
Therefore to conserve the remaining water to meet a severe demand during the summer next year, KSEB Limited has drastically slashed its hydel generation to 6.73 MU; just a week ago it was over 17 MU. The consequence of lowering hydel production is dependence on costly power. After nearly eight months of not purchasing costly power, KSEBL began harnessing power from Kozhikode Diesel Power Plant from Monday. Unlike hydel power which is secured at virtually no cost, diesel and naphtha stations sell power at over Rs six per unit, even more than the power sold by traders. “We have begun with 0.35 MU but a larger share of power will be evacuated from Kozhikode in the coming days if the rains continue to play truant,” a top KSEB official said. “If the situation continues, KSEBL might be forced to seek higher tariffs,” he added.
