HETAUDA, OCT 24 – The rainfalls in the water catchment areas have filled the reservoir of Kulekhani Hydroelectricity Project, the only storage-type power plant in the country, to its full capacity.
The heavy rainfall in the region last week triggered by the ‘Hudhud’ cyclone over the Northern Indian Ocean increased the water level at the reservoir. The Project is known to be the ‘power backup’ of Nepal Electricity Authority (NEA).
The rainfall on Monday and Tuesday last week had increased the water level by one and a half metres. Presently, the water level has been rising by 10-12 centimetres per day.
With an intention to increase the water level by an additional 50 centimetres, sandbags have been placed on the brim of the dam, said engineer Ishwori Prasad Jaiswal at Kulekhani- I.
The reservoir reaching its full capacity is a good sign as it can help reduce load shedding hours, claimed a technician at the Project.
Last year, the water level at the reservoir had been kept at full capacity during Dashain by not operating Kulekhani I and II. This year too, the power plant has not been operated to maintain the water level at a minimum of 1,505 metres.
The reservoir, spanning seven kilometers in length and 300 metres wide, was built to hold 1,530 metres of water as up to 1,484 metres of water can be used to generate electricity.
The NEA has been generating 60 and 62 mega watts of electricity from Kulekhani I and II, respectively.
Source : eKantipur
