Madhya Pradesh Dams Fill To Brim After Good Rains, State Drops Emergency Power Purchase Plan

Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The electricity department's contingency plan to tackle a possible power shortage following predictions of a weak monsoon has been shelved after bountiful rains filled dams across the state.

The electricity department was earlier worried over the prediction of a weak monsoon due to the El Nino phenomenon.

Seeing the warning of scanty rains, it had prepared an emergency plan to purchase power from other states and decided not to produce hydro power.

But the bountiful rains, particularly in the Vindhya, Bundelkhand and Chambal regions, have filled the dams to the brim.

With dams having adequate water in storage, the electricity department has given up the emergency plan. It can even go for hydropower generation on need in future.

Vishesh Gadpale, secretary to the Energy Department, said that as rains have been good in recent times and dams have adequate water, there is now no need for any emergency plan for power.

Sources in the electricity department said that in the wake of scanty rains, the department prepared an emergency plan to procure electricity available at a cheap rate in other states during the time of need in the coming months. But things have taken reverse gear following good rains.

Notably, the demand for power at an approximate level in the state is around 20,000 megawatts.