Telangana is maintaining uninterrupted power supply despite peak electricity demand rising to nearly 20,000 MW and hydel generation falling by about 4,000 MW because of inadequate water availability, Deputy Chief Minister Bhatti Vikramarka said on Monday.
Bhatti said the state’s peak demand during the same period earlier was around 15,000 MW. The increase has placed additional pressure on the power system as drought-like conditions, rising temperatures and reduced water levels in rivers and reservoirs have weakened hydel generation.
The Deputy Chief Minister made the remarks after inspecting the Pulichintala Hydel Power Generation Centre along with Irrigation Minister Uttam Kumar Reddy. During the visit, he reviewed the facility’s generation capacity, output achieved so far, unit control room and a presentation by officials.
According to Bhatti, all hydel power projects in Telangana are equipped to operate at their maximum capacity, and their machinery and generating units are in working condition. However, generation has declined because sufficient water is not available to run the projects at full output.
He said the Telangana State Transmission Corporation, Southern Power Distribution Company of Telangana and Northern Power Distribution Company of Telangana were functioning efficiently and managing the additional burden on the system. The increased demand, particularly during night-time hours, is being met through thermal power generation, he said.
Bhatti reiterated the government’s commitment to providing 24-hour power supply to domestic consumers and said there was no need for concern over electricity availability. He compared Telangana’s peak demand with neighbouring states, saying Karnataka, despite being larger, has a peak demand of around 20,000 MW, while Andhra Pradesh’s peak demand is about 12,000 MW.
The supply position is closely linked to water availability because hydel projects depend on river and reservoir levels. Bhatti said experts and scientists had warned that water scarcity could emerge if the state did not receive the expected rainfall in the coming days. He appealed to residents to use available water carefully until the next monsoon, keeping in mind the requirements of people, livestock and birds.
The appeal covers both drinking water and the wider resource pressure affecting power generation. Bhatti said water could not simply be stored indefinitely for future use and urged people to conserve it and use it judiciously. He also congratulated employees of the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation for their efforts to maintain reliable generation and supply.
During the visit, Bhatti also referred to a centralised kitchen facility being constructed for a programme that will provide breakfast to 27 lakh government-school students. He said modern schools were being developed in all 105 Assembly constituencies, with an allocation of Rs. 200 crore for each school and integrated campuses planned for around 2,600 students from different communities. The immediate power challenge, however, remains tied to the state’s ability to manage rising demand while hydel output is constrained by water conditions.
