Now Reading: J&K power crisis deepens as key hydel projects shut for silt flushing
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J&K power crisis deepens as key hydel projects shut for silt flushing
Jammu and Kashmir is facing severe power shortages and unscheduled outages after two of its major hydroelectric projects, the 450 MW Baglihar stage I and the Salal project, were shut for silt-flushing…
Jammu and Kashmir is facing severe power shortages and unscheduled outages after two of its major hydroelectric projects, the 450 MW Baglihar stage I and the Salal project, were shut for silt-flushing operations. Baglihar stage I in Ramban district has been non-operational for a week, with silt accumulation at its gates delaying restoration.
Officials said desilting work at Baglihar stages I and II and Salal began on August 18. Baglihar stage II resumed generation on August 22, but stage I is yet to restart. Salal is expected to resume operations on Tuesday. With both units largely unavailable, the region faced a shortfall of nearly 900 MW against a peak summer demand of about 2,500 MW.
The crisis has also drawn criticism of the Omar Abdullah-led government amid a 6.83% electricity tariff hike that takes effect from September 1. The power department is exploring alternative arrangements to bridge the supply gap.
Indian Opinion Analysis
The Chenab basin's three large hydel projects, Baglihar I and II (900 MW combined) and Salal (690 MW), together supply roughly a third of J&K's summer power. Their simultaneous shutdown for silt flushing, while routine each monsoon, has exposed how little slack the grid has. The 900 MW deficit equals the output of a medium thermal plant, and with no major storage dam in the valley, the region relies on central allocation from the northern grid, which is already stretched in August. The real test of the government's crisis management will come in winter, when demand rises to 3,000 MW and river flows drop. The tariff hike was notified by the J&K Electricity Regulatory Commission on July 12.
The government will need to finalise power purchase agreements with central generating stations before October to secure winter supply.
Source: timesofindia.indiatimes.com
This brief was synthesised by AI from the source linked above.
