Andhra Pradesh: Srisailam Reservoir Storage Falls To 150 TMC Ft
The declining storage has raised concerns over water availability for irrigation, particularly in the Rayalaseema region: Reports
KURNOOL: The storage in the Srisailam reservoir has fallen to 150.8076 tmc ft from a peak of around 185 TMC, with the water level dropping to 872.10 feet against the full reservoir level of 885 feet by Sunday evening.
With little or no rainfall reported in the state during August, the reservoir has been largely dependent on inflows to maintain its storage. The declining inflows have caused concern among water resources officials.
The Telangana government continues to generate hydel power at Srisailam, drawing around 17,320 cusecs of water a day and generating 8.657 million units of electricity.
On the Andhra Pradesh side, around 8,000 cusecs are being utilised through the Pothireddypadu Head Regulator and another 2,372 cusecs for the Handri-Neeva Sujala Sravanthi (HNSS) project. Overall, the two States are currently drawing around 30,259 cusecs from the Srisailam reservoir for hydel power generation and irrigation requirements.
The declining storage has raised concerns over water availability for irrigation, particularly in the Rayalaseema region. Farmers in Kurnool, Anantapur and Nandyal districts have already raised concerns over the lack of water for agriculture.
The situation is particularly worrying for the KC Canal ayacut, where not a single acre has been irrigated so far this season, farmers said.
The storage is significantly lower than last year. By the end of August last year, the Srisailam reservoir had more than 197 tmc ft of water.
With inflows remaining weak and rainfall showing no significant improvement, Andhra Pradesh water resources officials are closely monitoring the reservoir situation. The availability of water for drinking and irrigation requirements in the coming weeks is also being assessed.