Tunagabhadra water allocated to Seema

ANANTAPUR: The Irrigation Advisory Board of the Tungabhadra High Level Main Canal (HLMC) has allocated water towards subsidiary canals and projects under HLMC in Rayalaseema region during the IAB meeting here on Monday. The meeting was headed by BC welfare minister M. Shankar Narayana and MPs T. Rangaiah of Anantapur, Y.S. Avinash Reddy of Kadapa, MLAs — Ananta Venkatrami Reddy, K. Ramachandra Reddy, P. Ravindranath Reddy, K. Pedda Reddy, K. Venkatrami Reddy, J. Padmavathi and  several others participated.

As the Tungabhadra Board during a meeting held on June 11 at Hospet in Karnataka allotted 24.988 TMC ft of water towards HLMC in AP, the IAB meeting passed resolutions towards allocations of available water towards subsidiary canals and reservoirs in the Rayalaseema region.

However, the Board authorities observed that heavy silt in the dam had reduced water capacity from 132.47 to 100.85.

Based on the allocations, the authorities proposed 10 tmc ft towards Penna Ahobilum Reservoir (PABR) to meet the drinking water needs of Anantapur district.

The PABR has been a major source of drinking water to Anantapur Municipal Corporation, Kalyanadurgam, Rayadurgam and also Neela Kantapuram Srirami Reddy drinking water project.

“In addition to the command area of irrigation, most parts under the HLMC were facing severe drinking water shortage and the priority was towards meeting those needs through HLMC water”, minister M. Shankara Narayana said. The connecting canals and reservoirs will get the remaining water towards irrigation under the command area.

The Interstate dam creates the biggest reservoir on the Tungabhadra River with 100.85 tmc ft of gross storage capacity at full reservoir level (FRL) 498 m MSL, and a water spread area of 378 square kilometres. The dam is 49.39 metres high above its deepest foundation. The left canals emanating from the reservoir supplies water for irrigation entirely in Karnataka state. Two right bank canals have been constructed — one at low level and the other at high level serving irrigation in Karnataka and Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh.

Hydropower units have been installed on canal drops. The reservoir water is used to supply water to downstream barrages Rajolibanda and Sunkesula located on the Tungabhadra River.

The identified water use from the project is 220 tmc  ft by the Krishna Water Disputes Tribunal. Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh got 151 tmc  ft and 79 tmc  ft water use entitlement respectively. However, only 163 tmc  ft of water is expected for the present year due to heavy deposits of silt in the dam.

The Tungabhadra Hydro Electric Scheme was undertaken in the composite Madras State in the post war-period under the first five-year plan in 1950. During 1957, two units of 9 MW each at Dam Power House were installed and in 1958 two units of 9MW each were installed at Hampi Power House. The plant erection was started in the Dam Power House in November1962 and in the Hampi Power House in February 1963. Under stage II, units 3 and 4 of both Dam Power House and Hampi Power House started functioning by June 1964. On the left side the powerhouse is designed to accommodate 4 units of 9MW each.
Stage I power generation was commissioned during 1960-61.

In view of piping to the main canal which flows for more than 100 kms from TB dam towards AP borders in Anantapur district, the HLMC authorities sought an Off and On System which would help to draw water at the borders.  

Irrigation authorities hope to share HNSS water to fill reservoirs and irrigation tanks located under the command area of TB HLMC.