Kerala hydel reservoirs receive highest single-day inflow in five years; water storage rises to 43%

Pathanamthitta: Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) reservoirs recorded their highest single-day inflow in five years on Sunday, significantly improving water availability for hydropower generation.

The inflow received in a single day is sufficient to generate 147.599 million units (MU) of electricity. With this, the combined storage level across KSEB reservoirs has risen to 43% of total capacity.

Heavy inflows have continued over the past three days, resulting in an 11% increase in reservoir storage during the period. Although rainfall has slightly eased in hydropower catchment areas, strong inflows are expected to continue for a few more days.

Despite the improvement, KSEB officials say the situation remains a concern. Reservoir storage is still around 40% lower than the levels recorded during the same period in previous years. Until a week ago, inadequate water levels had severely affected power generation.

KSEB is currently conserving water in its major hydropower projects, including Idukki and Sabarigiri, while maximising electricity generation from smaller hydroelectric stations.

On Sunday, Idukki generated only 1.869 million units of electricity, while Sabarigiri produced 0.10 million units. The Kuttiyadi Hydroelectric Project recorded the highest generation, producing 4.6831 million units.

Electricity demand across the state has also declined sharply due to widespread rainfall.

As of Monday, the Sabarigiri Hydroelectric Project, Kerala's second-largest hydropower project, was at 46% storage capacity. The project area received 125 mm of rainfall, while the Pampa Dam catchment recorded 94 mm.

Across all KSEB reservoirs, the available water is now sufficient to generate 1,762.335 million units of electricity. During the corresponding period last year, the reservoirs held enough water to generate 3,127.13 million units

Heavy rains lift Idukki hydel reservoir storage by 13% in three days

Thodupuzha: After weeks of drought concerns, the Idukki Hydroelectric Project has received a major boost as continuous rainfall over the past three days significantly increased water levels in its reservoirs.

The water level in the Idukki, Cheruthoni and Kulamavu reservoirs, which together form the Idukki Hydroelectric Project, has risen by 13 percentage points, taking total storage to 41.63% of capacity as of Monday.

The reservoirs currently hold 602.60 million cubic metres (MCM) of water, against a total storage capacity of 1,459.49 MCM. At the end of July, after a prolonged dry spell, storage had fallen to just 28.81%.

The improvement comes after widespread rainfall across the project's catchment areas. However, the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) has not yet increased power generation and continues to conserve water. The Moolamattom powerhouse generated 1.89 million units of electricity on Monday.

With inflows increasing, six dams under the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) and the Irrigation Department have opened their shutters to regulate water levels.

At the Moozhiyar Dam, 7.69 cubic metres per second (cumecs) of water is being released, while the Lower Periyar Dam is discharging 192 cumecs.

The shutters of the Kallarkutty, Peringalkuthu and Kuttiyadi dams have also been opened. Among dams managed by the Irrigation Department, only the Malankara Dam in Thodupuzha is currently releasing water.

The opening of the six dams has raised water levels in the Thodupuzha and Muvattupuzha rivers, leading to flooding in low-lying areas of Ernakulam and Kottayam districts along the riverbanks.