Hydro power plant at Srisailam has no fire NoC
The AP Genco power plant on the Srisailam right bank, the largest producer of hydroelectric power in Andhra Pradesh, is not safe should there be any short circuit causing a fire. The right bank power house has seven units each generating 110 MW, for a total of 770 MW.
AP disaster management officials who conducted fire safety checks at the facility in the aftermath of a fire that killed nine people on the left bank power plant in TS recently, said the plant does not have a no objection certificate from the fire department. Despite this, the power plant is producing 18MU of power daily, consuming 30,000 cusecs of water. About 50 to 70 people work in every shift.
Kurnool district fire officer Srinivas Reddy said that the Srisailam right bank power plant is not safe to carry on operations as it is highly hazardous if any fire breaks out. He said the plant doesn’t have a smoke management system or fire safety equipment.
The equipment was found to be not usable as it was submerged during last year's floods. Fire officials said that a report is being submitted to the collector about the shortcomings in fire safety at the Srisailam plant.
The power plant needs an automatic high velocity water spray fire-fighting system (MLC fire system) for 21 numbers and 42.5 MVA generator transformers, Reddy said.
Meanwhile, officials from AP Genco arrived at Srisailam to assess the conditions at the plant.
When contacted, AP Genco Managing Director Sridhar said whatever shortcomings are found would be rectified. Asked whether he was aware that the power plant does not have a fire NoC, he was not aware but said that any requirement that needed to be complied with would be done immediately.