Repair work in progress at Moolamattom power plant in Idukki

Repair works are in progress at the Moolamattom power plant of the Idukki hydel project. The powerhouse was shut down on November 12 and the works are expected to be completed by December 10, officials said.

A Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) generation wing official said that the tunnel-drainage works at the Moolamattom power plant were completed on Wednesday. “The repair work is aimed at fixing the leakage in the main intake valves (MIV) of generators 5 and 6. Now the valve-loosening work of generator 6 is going on. To fix the valves in each generator, at least six to seven days are required,” said the official.

“The valve repair work needs to be completed in around 15 days. In addition, the KSEB will conduct the annual repair works of the two generators at the same time. The work extends to over 16 hours a day,” said the official.

According to officials, the repair works had to be taken up urgently. “The upstream seals of generators five and six malfunctioned, resulting in heavy water leakage. If not rectified, the leakage would result in heavy inflow to the underground powerhouse” said an official.

Tailrace water stopped

According to officials, after KSEB stopped the power generation at the plant, the flow of tailrace water (water released from the plant to the Muvattupuzha river after power generation) to Malankara dam had stopped. This water is used for drinking water distribution in Idukki and Ernakulam districts. Officials said arrangements had been made to ensure that drinking water distribution is not disrupted in Idukki and Ernakulam districts.

“The Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of Malankara dam is 42 metres, and the present water level is 42.9 metres. The catchment area of the dam received heavy rain, resulting in an increase in storage level. The present storage can ensure drinking water distribution for the next 10 days,” said an official.