UJVNL powerhouses resume generation after temporary closure due to heavy rain & silt

PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE | Dehradun

High volume of rain in the water storage area of UJVN Limited projects have caused a rise in the level of water in rivers and increased silt, especially in the Yamuna and Tons rivers in the Yamuna valley. Due to this, the powerhouses had to be temporarily shut for the protection of machines in the powerhouses, dams and barrages.

According to officials, the UJVNL projects have been designed to generate electricity with upto 3,000 parts per million (PPM) level. However, there is a risk of the machines being damaged when the PPM rises beyond this limit. This may disrupt power generation for a longer time and also cause considerable financial damage. In such a situation when the silt increases beyond a limit, the corporation shuts down its machines for some time and halts power generation. The power generation is resumed once the situation returns to normal.

Such a situation was experienced on July 21 due to which some powerhouses had to be shut down. The generation in Chhibro, Khodri, Dhakrani, Dhalipur and Vyasi powerhouses was affected due to high silt. The PPM level had reached 12,060 in the Tons river during this time. Similarly, the PPM level had reached 7,750 and 30,000 at the Vyasi dam and Dakpatthar barrage respectively on the Yamuna river. This situation affected power generated in Chhibro, Khodri, Dhakrani, Dhalipur and Vyasi on Monday evening.

The PPM level in the Tons dropped below 3,000 on Tuesday morning after which the Chhibro and Khodri power houses were turned back on at 10 AM while the Dhakrani, Dhalipur and Vyasi powerhouses also resumed generation at about 5 PM, officials said. Every year, the corporation prepares in advance to tackle situations which arise during the monsoon. This is the reason why its powerhouses were generating electricity depending on the level of the river and the silt in it.