KSEB facing grim prospects: Aryadan

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the draining of waters and augmentation of power generation in the Idukki dam against the backdrop of Mullaperiyar dam issue, the KSEB is facing the prospect of landing in a severe crisis in the summer months as high-cost power will have to be sourced to avoid loadshedding, Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed said here on Wednesday. He feared that the revenue gap for the KSEB may rise to the tune of `1,400 -1,500 crore in the current fiscal.  Addressing a news conference here, Aryadan Mohammed said that the storage level in the Idukki dam had fallen considerably to hold the waters of Mullaperiyar dam, in case of  a breach, as a precautionary measure. Idukki dam has an installed power generation capacity of 780 MW, while the state needs 3,200 MW annually. Sixty percent of the  state’s power needs are met from outside, including the allocation of 1,134 MW from the Central pool. While the average price for power purchased from outside is `3.50 per unit during the off-season and upto `8-9 per unit during summer months, a depleted storage position in dam will definitely pose problems, he said. Water was drained only rarely from Idukki reservoir  in the past - 1982 and 1992. Now, the water level is already lower than the preceding year, he said.