The Barapol small hydroelectric project that was shut down after floods and landslips damaged its generators is expected to resume power generation by November end.
The project, the first small hydroelectric project in the district, was commissioned in February 2016. The three generators, with a total installed capacity of 15 MW, had just started to function in full swing, after a few initial snags, when deluge struck. Completed at an estimated cost of ₹138 crore, it is located on the Barapol river (Barapuzha), a tributary of the Valapattanam river, in the Ayyannkunnu panchayat bordering Karnakata. The area witnessed flooding and landslips in August.
₹75 lakh for repairs
The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) authorities associated with the project said the generators were damaged after they were hit by uprooted trees and other heavy materials brought by flood water. The floods also caused breach in the 3-km-long canal constructed as part of the project. The ongoing repairs, estimated at ₹75 lakh, would be completed by the month end.
The project is envisaged to generate maximum power during monsoon when water flow in the river intensifies. The generators are utilised to the maximum up to eight months if there is good rainfall.
“We lost the monsoon this year because of the damage to the machinery and canal,” said an engineer of the project. The project was equipped to generate 36 million units a year, but it could so far generate just one million units. He added that the project could generate a little more power if there was good rainfall after the completion of the repair works.
Electricity Minister M.M. Mani visited the project on October 31 to see the progress of the repairs.