Coal news and updates

Water level at 25 reservoirs in India up

August 22: Out of 31 reservoirs across 13 states in India monitored by the Central Electricity Authority (CEA), 28 witnessed an increase in the water level as on August 13, 2014 as compared to the level recorded on August 1, according to provisional data available with ICMW.

Out of all the reservoirs, a sharp increase was observed in the four reservoirs located in the states of Orissa and three in the state of Tamil Nadu.

However, a sharp decline in the water level was seen in the two reservoirs in Uttarakhand.

Increased water levels in reservoirs generally cause higher generation of hydro-electricity, which many distribution companies prefer to buy compared to thermal power because the former is cheaper.

It has been found that whenever there is an increase in hydro-electricity generation, demand for thermal or coal-fired electricity drops.

Meanwhile, a government release on August 22 said the water storage available at 85 important reservoirs in the country as on August 21, 2014 was 101.253 BCM which is 65% of the total storage capacity of these reservoirs.

This storage level is 85% of the storage capacity of the corresponding period of last year and 105% of the storage average of the last 10 years, the release said, adding that the present storage position during the current year is less than the storage position of last year but better than the average storage of the last 10 years.

The Central Water Commission monitors the live storage status of 85 important reservoirs of the country on a weekly basis. These reservoirs include 37 having hydropower benefits with installed capacity of more than 60 MW. The total storage capacity of these reservoirs is 155.046 BCM which is about 61% of the storage capacity of 253.388 BCM which is estimated to have been created in the country.

Following table gives detailed break-up of water levels of major reservoirs in various states of India monitored by CEA: