August 07, 2006	Monday	Rajab 11, 1427

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HARIPUR, Aug 6: Owing to the rising water level at the Tarbela reservoir, the power-generating capacity of the powerhouse has increased by 193 megawatts over its installed capacity, sources told Dawn here on Sunday.

The sources at the powerhouse said that due to torrential rains and melting of glaciers in the catchment areas of the dam, generation had increased to 3,671 megawatt which was 193 megawatts more than its installed capacity of 3,478 megawatts.

The powerhouse has a total of 14 power generating units out of which the first 10 usually generate 1,750 megawatts (175MW each) of electricity while the remaining four produce 1,728 megawatts (432 MW each).

According to the water reading of Sunday afternoon, the level of the reservoir was recorded as 1534.21 ft against the designed crest level of 1,550 ft, inflow was 434,000 cusecs and outflow 352,500 cusecs.

Sources said that all the 16 gates of the two spillways were lifted by nine ft from where 130,700 cusecs per second was being discharged from the nine gates of the auxiliary spillway and 101,700 cusecs from the seven gates of the service spillway while 120,100 cusecs of water was being released through the powerhouse.

To a question, the sources answered that to meet any emergency dam authorities were fully prepared and the Tarbela Lake would be filled to its capacity by the end of the current month.