Shivamogga: A technical snag during routine maintenance at the Sharavathi Hydroelectric Power Station near Kargal in Sagar taluk of Shivamogga district triggered a brief scare on Thursday, June 25. The power station, which falls under the Linganamakki reservoir system, experienced a sudden water leak while maintenance work was being carried out on Unit 7.
According to officials, the incident occurred when water was being drained from the penstock pipeline as part of scheduled maintenance. During the process, the drain valve of one of the massive penstock pipes developed an unexpected leak, allowing a large volume of water to gush into the powerhouse.
The leakage led to the accumulation of nearly one-and-a-half feet of water around the turbine area and the basement of the generating station. The sudden influx of water created panic among staff working inside the plant.
As a precautionary measure, KPCL officials immediately shut down power generation from Units 1, 8 and 9 to ensure the safety of personnel and equipment while emergency operations were undertaken.
Power generation restored after emergency response
Soon after the incident, senior officials of Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (KPCL) and a team of technical experts rushed to the site and launched emergency restoration work. The leak was successfully contained, and the accumulated water in the basement was pumped out within a short time.
Following a comprehensive inspection of the power station, engineers confirmed that no major damage had occurred to the plant or its equipment. With the safety assessment completed, electricity generation from all the affected units was restored in a phased manner by Thursday evening.
Officials said the incident was confined to a technical fault in the drain valve during maintenance operations and was brought under control swiftly, preventing any significant damage or prolonged disruption to power generation.
