Hyderabad: News of 1.7 lakh cusecs of water being released by Karnataka dams cheered city residents but there is a long way to go before they can be assured of water in the Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar dams.
Officials said that the IMD was predicting rainfall in Maharashtra and Karnataka only for five days, and the outflow from Karnataka dams into Telangana state would reduce and stop at any moment.
Before the water tapers off, the state is expected to get about 50 tmc ft. The Srisailam is holding 31 tmc ft against its full capacity of 215 tmc ft. The 312-tmc ft capacity Nagarjunasagar has 126 tmc ct of water. Both dams together can take another 370 tmc ft of water. Interestingly, both Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar had more water at this time last year. Srisailam had 156 tmc ft water on the same day in 2018. Nagarjunasagar and 136.3 tmc ft.
Currently, the Jurala project is discharging 28 cusecs flood water to downstream water projects. The water from Karnataka dams will reach the project in about two days.
Almatti had water standing at 1,703 feet against its full level of 1,705 feet. At Narayanpur, the full reservoir level is 1,615 and water is standing at 1,612.63 feet. Because of this, officials are expecting that the Karnataka government will keep releasing any inflows downstream to Karnataka.
A senior irrigation department official said that the Telangana has been receiving mere 9 TMC flood water from the upstream reservoirs. He said that if the current inflow sustains for another five days the water will be officially released from the Almatti.
The official said the department has been keeping its finger crossed for bountiful rains in Karnataka. He said that the water released from Jurala will reach the Srisailam reservoir in four days.
Against the full reservoir capacity of 885 feet the current water levels in the reservoirs in 804.10 feet at Srisailam. At Nagarjunasagar, water was standing at 506.90 feet against FRL of 590 feet.
Hyderabad would get uninterrupted water supply for at least six weeks.
