Daijiworld Media Network – Shimoga (SP)

Shimoga, Nov 4: Karnataka Power Corporation has steeply cut down power generation in its Sharavathi Hydro Electric Project in Jog in the district, as the government has chosen to buy power from outside the state. As against its generating capacity of 18 million units of power per day, the unit has drastically cut down generation to about 25% of that capacity. Its present daily generation is only five million units.

As a result, constant pressure the unit had been facing since long has come down. The water level in the reservoir here has also remained constant since the last few weeks. Officials of the project said that other power generating units in the district too have cut down their production.

Currently, water level at Linganamakki Reservoir on which the power generation is dependent, stands at 88% of maximum level. This level allows the unit to continue to work to its full capacity till June next year. Because of the government’s decision to buy 65 to 70 million units of power from other states, about 100 million units of power generation is saved here every month, officials have stated.

The state government has resorted to bulk power purchase from outside, because of the fact that power is available now at cheaper rates. At the same time, demand for power has come down because of good rains everywhere.