Srisailam Inflows Cross 2 Lakh Cusecs; Reservoir Crosses 100Tmc Mark
Venugopal Reddy said Even if moderate rainfall is received within the state, there will be no shortage of water for both irrigation and drinking purposes this year
KURNOOL: Inflows into the Srisailam reservoir have surged past the two lakh cusecs mark, raising hopes of the project filling up in the coming days. However, the authorities remain cautious on using the water for hydel power generation.
According to official data, the reservoir received 2.08 lakh cusecs of inflow at 10 am on Tuesday, largely from releases at the upstream Jurala project following heavy rain in Karnataka and Maharashtra. By Tuesday afternoon, the water storage in the Srisailam reservoir had reached 101.9210 tmc ft against its full capacity of 215.8070 thousand million cubic feet (tmc ft).
Engineers said that if the trend continued, the reservoir could fill up within a week. “At the present inflow levels, nearly 18.5 tmc ft of water is being added daily,” said a senior irrigation engineer.
Despite the heavy inflows, officials are adopting a wait-and-watch approach on power generation. “Though power generation was undertaken even when storage was around 50 tmc in the past, the current situation demands caution,” the official said in a reference to poor rainfall due to the prevailing El Nino conditions. “If upstream inflows suddenly stop, it could create difficulties.”
The right and left bank hydel power projects together consume around 6 tmc of water per day if operated at full capacity. “Starting generation now would mean significant water usage. We cannot take that risk without clarity on sustained inflows,” another official said.
The rising water levels have brought cheer among farmers. However, officials said irrigation releases would take some more time. “Our priority is to ensure drinking water security first. After that, we will release water for irrigation,” an official stated.
Water releases are expected to be planned for projects such as Handri Neeva, Pothireddypadu head regulator, SRBC, Telugu Ganga, and Galeru-Nagari, depending on storage levels and rainfall conditions in the state.
On the inter-state front, AP alleged that Telangana had been drawing 1,600 cusecs of water daily since July 25 to meet irrigation and drinking water needs of Mahbubnagar district. “They have been utilising water from day one of inflows, which is a matter of concern,” an AP official remarked.
“We are awaiting directions from the government,” reservoir superintendent engineer M. Venugopal Reddy said with regard to water release for hydel generation. “Any release will be done only after a policy-level decision.”
Venugopal Reddy said: “Even if moderate rainfall is received within the state, there will be no shortage of water for both irrigation and drinking purposes this year.”
