M A I N   N E W S

Sharp fall in Ranjit Sagar Dam water level
Power generation may be hit for days
Varinder Walia
Tribune News Service

Ranjit Sagar Dam, March 2
Even as the water level of the Ranjit Sagar Dam reservoir has declined alarmingly due to scanty rains, the power generation which was stopped on February 24 will be resumed on March 4, a few hours before Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee dedicates the project to the nation.

The power generation will remain shut till tomorrow so that the water level can reach the required level for smooth running of the power house.

The completion of the Ranjit Sagar Dam (RSD) was delayed for yet another year due to a snag in its power tunnel in July, 1999, resulting in a loss of over Rs 5 crore to the state exchequer. Except for seeking resignation from the General Manager, Mr Sham Lal Garg, the state government has failed to take action against anybody so far. The high-level probe was reportedly hushed up due to a variety of reasons.

However, the project started generating power with effect from August 12, 2000, and up to date 33.34 crore units of power have been generated, earning about Rs 100 crore. The prestigious dam has not been run to its full capacity mainly due to a fall in the reservoir level and the 1999 ‘snag’.

Though the power generation was suspended for a week, yet the water level of the reservoir could reach up to 494 metres against the required level of 527.91 metres due to lack of rains. The dam upstream also did not have snowfall. A few months ago, the water level had touched 508 metres but it witnessed a steep fall in the coming days.

Mr V.K. Mohindroo, Deputy Chief Engineer and in charge of the power house, admitted that after the dam’s dedication to nation by the Prime Minister, all units could not run to their full capacity even for a week.

Insiders allege that the snag developed in 1999 had started showing its impact on power generation.

After the floods of 1988, the power house pit was cleared of muck and slush. The concreting of the power house was started in 1991 and the power house building, which is 70 metres high, was completed up to an elevation of 451 metres by March 1999.

Work on the reservoir pond was started on February 15, 1999. However, the generation of power could not be started in July, 1999 as scheduled, due to the snag.

The test run of the equipment in the power house was started on July 25 last year after attaining the mandatory elevation level of 487.13 metres. Now the elevation level of the reservoir is a few metres above the mandatory level which cannot run all units for a good number of days.

Mr J. S. Randhawa, General Manager, when contacted, said that action could not be taken against those responsible for the 1999 snag as construction of power tunnels was a ‘collective responsibility’.