SJVNL plans to increase storgae capacity at Nathpa's dam

Shimla, June 13 (UNI) The country's largest hydroelectric project, 1,500 MW Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam (SJVNL), plans to increase the storage capacity of the reservoir to optimize its power generation capacity, a company official said.

Increasing its storage capacity by 10 metres would help in increasing power generation in the hydel power project and combat silt content during the monsoon season.

Project's General Manager N C Bansal said increasing its capacity would help in optimizing its power generation and solving the problem of silt content, which affects power generation in the project during the monsoon season after silt level rises beyond 4,000 parts per million.

He said the project would help in peaking power generation to the northern grid during the season.

The project's reserviour would be filled up to the brim in the next couple of weeks and the impact of the peaking power would be felt during the lean winter season when snow melts at its lowest level in the Sutlej river, Mr Bansal said.

He said raising the level of the reservoir would also help in combating the silt content in the water during the monsoon.

Higher reservoir levels would help silt settle at the bottom and not get into the turbines and corrode and damage them, he added.

UNI