Telangana Dy CM Bhatti says El Niño pushes Telangana to record power demand amid rainfall deficit
Hyderabad, Sept 18 (TNT): Telangana faced a 38 per cent rainfall deficit in August and recorded its highest-ever peak electricity demand of 19,543 MW this month amid increased dependence on borewells and lift irrigation, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said in the Assembly on Friday.
Bhatti said deficient rainfall had affected agriculture, reduced reservoir inflows and increased pressure on the power sector.
Telangana recorded rainfall deficits of 12 per cent in June, one per cent in July and 38 per cent in August, with the state receiving 543 mm against the normal 640 mm by September 18.
He said the electricity demand peaked at 19,543 MW at 10.41 am on September 9, compared with 15,585 MW on the same day last year. The nearly 4,000 MW increase was attributed to greater reliance on borewells as groundwater levels fell and higher electricity consumption by lift irrigation schemes.
The combined load of major lift irrigation schemes was repeatedly recorded at 1,100-1,500 MW during the first half of August and touched nearly 1,600 MW on some occasions, against 250-450 MW during the corresponding period last year, Bhatti said.
Hydel generation also fell sharply to 422 MW from 1,940 MW due to reduced reservoir inflows, he said.
Bhatti said the government had begun preparations in April itself after anticipating the possible impact of El Niño. Alternative crop plans were prepared in consultation with the IMD, Professor Jayashankar Telangana State Agricultural University and the Agriculture Department, while special action plans were prepared for all 32 districts, he said.
He said the government was also conserving available water resources, with drinking water requirements for the next 11-12 months being assessed in advance.
Against the total reservoir capacity of 808 TMC across the Krishna and Godavari basins, only 465 TMC was currently available, he said.
The government had also launched Telangana Jalasiri, proposing 24 lakh recharge pits, 50,000 farm ponds, 12,000 percolation tanks and 12,000 borewell recharge structures to conserve rainwater and recharge groundwater.
Despite the pressure, Telangana had so far met its electricity requirements, Bhatti said, adding that the government was taking measures to maintain power availability through thermal generation, central allocations, market purchases and other sources.
TNT TS
