Rains help Telangana Discoms save on energy purchase bills

Widespread rains over the last couple of weeks not just in the State but in the upstream areas of major rivers have helped the two power distribution companies of Telangana cut down on energy purchases from the exchange on daily-basis to meet the demand as hydro-electric stations are going for optimum generation.

The rains have brought smiles on the two Discoms by reducing their energy purchase bills, while they have left a mixed experience for farming community and general public as some areas faced huge rainfall deficit till recently and farmers in some other areas faced inundation of their crops. The general public, particularly in the urban areas have been at the receiving end due to inconvenience the rains have caused in their daily life.

Hydel generation at an optimum level is possible only during the peak rainy season spread from July to October and this year it’s proving to be one of the most productive, a senior executive of the Telangana Power Generation Corporation Ltd (TG-Genco) said, when contacted. He explained that hydel generation has contributed nearly 14.5% of the total energy consumption from July to August 15.

The official stated that generation of hydro-power has been going on regularly at Jurala, Lower Jurala, Srisailam Left, Nagarjunasagar Main, Nagarjunasagar Left Canal and Pulichintala hydel stations in full-scale either from early July or mid-July, while it was taken up at Sriramsagar and Singur recently.

“Except in 2022-23, when the contribution of hydel to the total energy consumption was about 28% in July and August, the low-cost energy generation had contributed only in single-digit percentage during the first two months of peak rainy season from 2021-22. At the present rate, this year it could be at least 20%,” the Genco executive explained.

Flood monitoring officials of the Irrigation department stated that Jurala, one of the gateway projects in the Krishna Basin for the Telugu States, has received a flood of over 375 tmc ft and another gateway project Srisailam has inflows of nearly 589 tmc ft from July 1 to August 15, allowing optimum hydel generation at Jurala, Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar.