Falling reservoir levels bode ill for hydro power generation this summer
NEW DELHI : Falling water levels in hydro power dams are raising worries, as a looming summer threatens to turn up power demand and strain the electricity grid. Thanks to last year's late monsoon, scanty winter rains and lack of snowfall, reservoir levels fell 17% from a year earlier to 73.29 billion cubic metres (bcm) on Thursday, data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) showed. The levels are also nearly 3.6 percentage points below the 10-year average of 76.06 bcm.
"Reservoir levels are very low currently; in case rainfall is deficient in the upcoming months, hydro power generation would be further impacted," an official with a hydro power generation company said. “Last year, the monsoon was delayed and it hampered generation by hydro projects to a great extent. Govind Sagar, Indira Sagar and others are key reservoirs for hydro power projects," the official said on condition of anonymity.
India has a hydro power capacity of 46.92 GW, which is 11% of the total capacity of 429.96 GW. Despite this small share, it has an outsized role in keeping the power grid stable, since its generation can be regulated when required, unlike other renewable energy sources like solar and wind which depend on wind and sunshine. Most top reservoirs are running low on water levels compared to last year.
Govind Sagar reservoir in Himachal Pradesh, which caters to a hydel capacity of 1.37 GW, currently is only 33% full, against 35% a year earlier. Koyna dam in Maharasthra, with a hydro power project of 1.9 GW, was 61% full, against 67% last year. Uttarakhand's Tehri dam, which caters to 1 GW capacity, was at just 3%, against 37% the year before.
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