Bathing Restrictions on Devotees for Sivaratri at Srisailam
Kurnool: With water storage being limited in Srisailam dam, authorities are installing showers for devotees to bathe during the upcoming Maha Kumbhabhishekam and Sivaratri celebrations.
Srisailam reservoir is presently holding mere 38.8 tmc feet of water, against its capacity of 215 tmc feet. Srisailam dam on the Krishna River bordering Mahabubnagar in Telangana and Kurnool in Andhra Pradesh is the second-largest working hydroelectric station in the country.
With the water level going low, hydro power generation has already been suspended. However, it is customary for devotees to have their bath in River Krishna water at the time of Kumbhabhishekam and Sivaratri celebrations, which will be from March 1 to March 11 this year. As water level is low at 38.8 tmc feet, there is only a minor outflow of 960 cusecs. Temple officials have thus planned to install showers at the Pathalganga bathing ghats, located behind Rajula Satram and RTC Bus Stand, so that devotees can have their bath and water too can be conserved. They are also taking measures for organising bathing at Lingalagattu on the lower side of the dam.