Tungabhadra Dam Records 40 TMC ft Storage Amidst Early Monsoon Inflows
Typically, the dam remains nearly empty during May. However, over 10 TMC ft of water was recorded this year, and with continued inflows exceeding 51,000 cusecs, the current storage has reached 40 TMC ft—half the restricted capacity of 80 TMC ft.
Anantapur: The Tungabhadra reservoir has received 40 TMC ft of water due to heavy inflows from the upstream Western Ghats during the early Southwest Monsoon in May, officials confirmed.
Typically, the dam remains nearly empty during May. However, over 10 TMC ft of water was recorded this year, and with continued inflows exceeding 51,000 cusecs, the current storage has reached 40 TMC ft—half the restricted capacity of 80 TMC ft.
Though the full reservoir capacity is 105 TMC ft, an expert committee has recommended limiting the storage to 80 TMC ft owing to the poor condition of the crest gates. “Even if heavy inflows are expected in the coming weeks, we cannot store more than 80 TMC ft,” a senior dam official told Deccan Chronicle. “Water will be released to both states based on allocation.”
Due to ongoing issues, replacement works for the 19th crest gate have been halted and will resume only after the monsoon season.
A meeting is scheduled for June 27 to decide on releasing water to the High-Level Main Canal (HLMC) and Low-Level Canal (LLC), as Karnataka has already expressed readiness to receive its allocated share.
In the absence of sufficient storage facilities in Andhra Pradesh, HLMC officials are expected to rely on the Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir to release water for irrigation and summer storage.