TEHRI DAM CRISIS
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More bad hot days ahead for North India
Published on Sun, Jun 28, 2009 at 15:22, Updated on Mon, Jun 29, 2009 at 13:47 in 
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New Delhi: No immediate relief in sight to the power crisis in the North. The Tehri Dam, one of the biggest hydropower dams in the country is currently operating at just one fourth of last years’ capacity. The water level is just 2.50 meter above minimum. The other dams in the region have just enough water to meet power requirements for next seven days.
“This year the situation is quite worrying. Electricity production has dropped below its normal level. If it doesn't rain soon, there will be a sever water crisis and both irrigation and power production will be affected,” says General Manager Tehri Hydro Development Corporation Limited, AL Shah.
Officials fear the Tehri plant would have to be shut down completely if it does not rain soon. This could severely hit several lakh hectares of farmland. The other smaller dams nearby have already dried up.
“Usually at most hydroelectric power plants we have three to four turbines, but due to shortage of water, we can operate only a few turbines. This year we are operating only one turbine at hydroelectric power plants,” says Chief Engineer Irrigation Uttarakhand, E Sagarchand.
Power production at the 12 other hydel plants has gone down from an average 18 million units to 15.7 million units per day. The only immediate hope for those in the Northern states is that it rains soon enough.
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