The delayed monsoon has taken toll on the Sardar Sarovar Narmada Nigam Ltd’s (SSNNL) power generation capacity. Five River Bed Power Houses (RBPHs), producing 20mw each, have stopped working from early this week. Power generation in the Canal Bed Power House (CBPH) has also been affected.

With irrigation and drinking water supply being the priorities, the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) has recently issued guidelines to SSNNL to maintain the water level in the reservoir up to 110.64 mts and supply water to north Gujarat.

Last week, SSNNL authorities increased the discharge to the main canal to 7,000 cusecs as against 3,000 cusecs earlier. The move aims to help farmers in agriculture as well as industries in north and central Gujarat. The water is being released from zero point to 144 kilometres of the main canal, which supplies water to the Mahi and Fathehwadi command areas as also to north Gujarat.

SSNNL Chief Executive Engineer K J Trivedi said: “Based on the rainfall received in the catchment and the command areas, we are monitoring the reservoir daily. Accordingly, we are deciding how the RBPH and CBPH should work. At present, we have around 113.97mts of water. We are conserving it and not utilising it for power generation. A very little portion of the power generated by SSNNL is utilised by Gujarat.”

There are five units of CBPH having a capacity of 50mw each. At present, two units are functional; one works for 24 hours, while the other one remains functional for 16 hours.