The Hindu : Work on mini hydel plant progressing well

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Sep 30, 2003

Southern States

Southern States - Karnataka

Work on mini hydel plant progressing well

By Our Staff Correspondent

BELLARY Sept. 29. Work on the mini hydroelectric plant being established on the banks of the Tungabhadra in Mannur Sugur (popularly known as M-Sugur) in Sirguppa taluk is on in full swing.

Perhaps, this is the first hydroelectric unit in the district. The plant with a capacity to generate 4.5 MW of power is being established by the Andhra Pradesh-based Sri Laxmi Sridevi Power Industries, Nellore.

According to C.H. Satish Babu, one of the directors of the company, the ongoing project is estimated to cost around Rs. 27 crore. The unit will have three turbines of 1.5 MW capacity each, he says.

The work on the plant commenced in June last with M. Shankar Reddy, Sirguppa MLA and Chairman of the Karnataka State Small Industries Investment Corporation, performing the "bhoomi pooja". As of now, the excavation work has been completed and the foundation has been laid.

H.R. Manjunath, project engineer, says that controlled blasting technique has been adopted to avoid causing damage to the environment.

According to him, the turbines will be installed about six to eight metres below ground level. The plant is located at an advantageous position. The barrage constructed during the Vijayanagar period still exists at the spot. Now, it will be strengthened and the height will be increased by about 4 ft., Mr. Manjunath says. Two sluices will be constructed on either side of the river to be used in the event of floods.

The company hopes to operate all the three turbines during the rainy season for about 60 days. "Based on the study on the flow of water and the velocity, we hope to run the plant for about 140 days in a year," Mr. Manjunath says.

The equipment for the plant has been obtained from the New Delhi-based HPP Power Ltd., Mr. Manjunath says, and adds that the control system is almost automatic.

The company has also entered into a power purchase agreement and the power generated will be sold to the Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd. Under the agreement, the company has to transmit the power generated to the sub-station at Tekkalakota.

Mr. Babu hopes that the plant will be ready for commissioning by the end of February next.

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