KSEBOA - KSEB Officers' Association

Share this Twitter Digg Del.icio.us Slashdot Furl Yahoo Technorati Newsvine Googlize this Blinklist Facebook Wikio Hear this text Export PDF Print E-mail

Hopes of increased hydel power generation were stoked for the Kerala State Electricity Board by vigorous monsoon activity over the past few days. KSEB officials said the situation was looking up and that "July was expected to be more favourable". In June there had been a shortage of water received at its reservoirs, with water sufficient to produce 331 million units being received that month as against the expectation of getting water enough to produce 800 mu of power.

Of Kerala's average daily requirement of 1,319 mu in June, 420 mu is contributed by hydel power sources. Rainwater enough to produce 331 mu power received in June was lower than the 433 mu worth of water received in June 2008 and significantly lower than the 1,003 mu worth of water received in June 2007, officials said.

KSEB officials said the water position in its three major reservoirs was 36% of their capacity, but expected the fresh monsoon activity to improve the water position in all three.

They said the co-operation offered by industries in the state in shifting their peak power usage to non-peak hours had helped the board to better manage supplies to the general public and manage with only a half-hour load shedding for a brief period.

Met department director M D Ramachandran said the rain received until July 15 was only 13% deficient when compared to the 50-year-average in the state. He said monsoon was predicted to be active again on July 20, and that overall the rains would be equal to or only slightly less than normal.

In June, Kerala had received only 43.5 cm rain as against the 50-year average of 67.8 cm for that month. However, the first half of July has brought 50.5 cm of rain as against the average of 40.8 cm for the period. The met department expects a slight deficiency in rain in August and September.