Malkangiri: Power generation at the Balimela Hydroelectric Project in Odisha's Malkangiri district has been suspended from Saturday night after the Water Resources Department stopped water supply to the Odisha Hydro Power Corporation (OHPC) to conserve water for the ongoing kharif cultivation season.

The decision was taken following a sharp decline in the water level of the Balimela reservoir, with authorities prioritising irrigation needs over hydropower generation.

According to the Office of the Chief Construction Engineer, Potteru Irrigation Project, the reservoir's water level has dropped to 1,455.60 feet, against its Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 1,516 feet. Live storage has fallen to 13.13 per cent, compared to 19.94 per cent during the corresponding period last year.

Officials attributed the decline to below-normal rainfall and the impact of El Niño. The reservoir's catchment area has received only 519 mm of cumulative rainfall so far this year, compared to 778 mm during the same period last year, resulting in a rainfall deficit of 259 mm.

In an official communication, the Water Resources Department directed an immediate halt to water supply for OHPC, reducing the allocation to nil cusecs. Water release to Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) has also been curtailed to 4,000 cusecs to ensure adequate storage for irrigation throughout the kharif season.

The department also noted that water inflow from the Jalaput Dam had been affected following an incident at the Machkund Power House, further worsening the reservoir situation.

OHPC Superintending Engineer Durga Prasad Pattnaik said hydropower generation at the Balimela plant will remain suspended until the reservoir's water level improves to a satisfactory level.

Meanwhile, the Odisha authorities have requested APGENCO to increase water release from the Jalaput reservoir to augment inflows into Balimela. While around 600 cusecs of water is currently being released, officials are planning to increase it to 2,000 cusecs to stabilise the reservoir level.

Officials said normal water supply to OHPC and the resumption of power generation will be considered once the reservoir regains sufficient storage comparable to previous years.