76tmc feet more water expected in Srisailam

Hyderabad: The Srisailam dam received about 9 tmc ft of water in 24 hours till 6 pm on Monday, taking the total storage to 72.79 tmc ft. Officials said even if it stopped raining in the upstream areas, the dam could expect about 76 tmc ft of water. If this happens, the dam could end up with about 148 tmc ft water against its capacity of 215.8 tmc ft. The dam was receiving average inflows of 2,19,368 cusecs. Cumulative inflows this water year beginning in June were 44.11 tmc ft, according to data from the Central Water Commission (CWC).

Srisailam is receiving good inflows while it is declining from Tungabhadra, said a top official of the CWC’s Krishna-Godavari Basin Organisation (KGBO). “We are getting over 2 lakh cusecs to Srisailam. Considering that there are no rains in upstream regions, we expect a minimum water inflow over one lakh cusecs for the next 10 days. That would fetch the Srisailam dam another 76 tmc ft,” Mr D. Ganga Reddy, KGBO chief engineer, said.

Outflows from Tungabhadra had declined to 56,000 cusecs, he said. From the Godavari, about 4.77 lakh cusecs or about 41 tmc ft a day was going into the sea. The inflows upstream of Yellampally were bleak, Mr Ganga Reddy said. Mr S. Suneel, chief engineer at the Srisailam Left Bank Canal (SLBC) and Nagarjunasagar project, forecast over one lakh cusecs for next 10 days into Srisailam.

“Considering the present levels, it could fill half the Srisailam dam by next week. Nagarjunasagar will get water if rains continue and get flood water from Srisailam. Otherwise, if power generation begins at Srisailam, that will also release water to Nagarjunasagar,” Mr Suneel said. Telangana staet has six units of 150MW each under the SLBC, giving it a total 900 MW hydel power generation capacity.  “We can start hydel power generation at SLBC using the present level of water but far no decision has been taken in this regard. It’ll also reduce cost burden on the state government,” said an official from the Srisailam project.