Guwahati: NHPC Limited on Monday said the flow of the Subansiri River downstream remained at its natural level, with all inflows into the reservoir being released through the Subansiri Lower Hydroelectric Project (SLHEP).
According to NHPC, the reservoir recorded a peak inflow of around 5,200 cumecs in the morning, which gradually declined to about 4,200 cumecs by the evening.
At present, the entire inflow is being discharged through three half-open spillway gates and the powerhouse. Three of the project’s four commissioned generating units were operational on Monday, generating a total of 750 MW of electricity.
NHPC said the Subansiri River can safely carry up to 7,000 cumecs of water, beyond which flooding may occur in downstream areas. It added that if inflows exceed 7,000 cumecs, the project would release only that volume downstream while storing the excess water in the reservoir to help moderate flood flows.
The company said that once the project is fully commissioned, it would be capable of moderating flood inflows of up to 12,400 cumecs over a 24-hour period.
NHPC also said there has been no instance of flooding in the downstream areas since the project was partially commissioned.