Additional allocation of central pool in place: Officials

Riyaz Bhat

Srinagar: With the onset of winters, the local hydro power generation has taken a dip by nearly 45 percent.

Top officials informed the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO) that the hydel power generation from the local plants has reduced by nearly 500 Megawatts (MWs).

The official said, “As of now, on an average, we are generating nearly 500-600 MW of power. From the Baglihar power project, we are on an average generating nearly 300 MWs. This too depends on the functioning of machines.”

“During the peak season, we were generating over 1100 MWs of power from the total generation capacity of 1197.4 MW of Jammu and Kashmir power plants,” the official said.

It also said, “Due to the reduced water levels some of the small power projects in Kashmir were usually not generating any power in the month of October but this year due to the late monsoon in Jammu and Kashmir, they are doing very well in comparison to the previous years.”

The official further informed KNO that there were additional 800 MWs allocated from the centre. “From this year, we have 1300 MW from the central pool. We have started banking with other states.”

Pertinently, till the third week of February, an official had said that Jammu and Kashmir was relying on more than 85 percent of coal and solar power amid acute deficit of hydro power generation.

Officials of PDD department had claimed that local hydro power generation from the local power plants have reduced by nearly 90 percent.

An official had informed that “At present Jammu and Kashmir is 85-90 percent dependent on coal and solar energy that is being procured from the other states because as of now we don’t have a local power generation.”

“In winters the local hydro power generation of Jammu and Kashmir power plants has reduced by almost 90 percent and in order to cater the requisite power demand, we need to have a base power availability that we procure from outside states. The energy is coal based energy,” the official had said—(KNO)