The Central Water Commission (CWC) has approved the emergency action plans (EAP) for 21 dams being operated by Kerala State Electricity Board Ltd. (KSEB), Electricity Minister M.M. Mani has said.
Responding to questions in the Assembly on Friday, Mr. Mani said the government had submitted EAPs for 24 dams seeking approval. The safety protocol, which was made mandatory by the CWC in 2016, is aimed at mitigating the consequences of exigencies triggered by a dam failure.
Pointing out that while the KSEB had initiated steps to frame the EAPs prior to the floods, Mr. Mani said the rule curves of major reservoirs, which served as a guide in coordinating their operations, had been revised in line with the guidelines of the CWC following the natural calamity. As part of further enhancing dam safety protocols, Operation and Maintenance (O&M) manuals were prepared for seven reservoirs, including the Idamalayar dam, and had been submitted to the CWC for approval.
The renovation of reservoirs were underway as part of the Dam Rehabilitation and Improvement Project (DRIP).
The Electricity Minister said that various steps were undertaken to minimise power transmission losses that had further burdened the energy-deficient State. The completion of the ambitious Transgrid 2.0 project, aimed at strengthening the power transmission network, was bound to achieve the desired result, he said.
Besides, the government had undertaken energy audits in the Thiruvananthapuram Government Medical College and five civil stations as part of its energy conservation measures. Energy audits had also been made mandatory for industrial units and large-scale commercial consumers.
A Smart Energy programme was being conducted in 4,800 schools across the State to create awareness on energy conservation among students. Moreover, 550 schools had been made carbon-neutral, Mr. Mani said.
The government had also been successful in declaring Pilicode grama panchayat in Kasaragod as the first filament bulb-free local body in the country. Furthermore, as part of its filament bulb-free campaign, the government had decided to distribute 7.5 crore LED bulbs.