Shimla, May 17
100MW Uhl power project of Himachal Pradesh State Electricity Board located at Ladbhadol in Mandi witnessed a major blast in the penstroke pipe of one of the turbines at mid night.
Board spokesman Anurag Parashar told HimachalScape that 30 employees of the project were trying to start a turbine to increase the power generation from 8MW to 16MW last mid night. About 150 mtr away from the power house a penstroke blasted and water and muck entered and suddenly flooded the Power House.
During this operation 15 engineers and other employees were in the Power House, he added. However after blast half of them runaway and the rest were trapped inside the Power House.
One of Engineer identified as Arun Sharma avidly switched off the Valve of the blasted penstroke which helped to reduce the water discharge into the power house. Prasher said that after that 15 people who were trapped inside the power house were evacuated safely.
Incident rendered massive loss to the valuable equipment and Mechinary of the power project, informed Prasher. He said that 100 mw power project has three tribune of 33.3 MW capacity, each. Power House have 8.4 km long tunnel and penstroke pipe blasted near at Chula power house.
