Irrigation projects affect drinking water supply in AP and TS

ANANTAPUR: Irrigation projects are in a worse situation and might affect the drinking water supply in many parts of AP and TS. Power generation may also be hit as the projects are currently at dead storage level.

Major drinking water source of AP is the Tungabhadra reservoir, an interstate project under Krishna basin. It has been witnessing worse conditions following poor South-West Monsoon.

Krishna and Pennar basins are major water sources for AP. There is an acute shortage of water in their reservoirs even during the early post South- West Monsoon.

As against the total capacity of 589.67 in Krishna basin, its storage is at 36.41 per cent while the water storage was at 65.07 per cent during January last year.

Tungabhadra reservoir has only 10.04 per cent storage, it is having only 10 tmc-ft as against a capacity of 100.86 tmc-ft. This was the first time in the history of the TB dam in the past three decades that it finds itself in such a worse condition and unable to meet the drinking and irrigation needs of the Rayalaseema region.

Srisailam Reservoir, another major source of AP and TS, is faced with an acute shortage of water as Srisailam recorded only 45.61 tmc-ft as against its gross capacity of 215.81 tmc-ft with only 21.13 per cent. Not even a single cusec of inflow for both projects so far, while it is unable to meet the needs of dependent projects.

Srisailam dam authorities were releasing outflows of 1,695 cusecs towards downstream and dependent projects.

K. Sharma, irrigation expert, observed that previously, the rain deficit had an adverse impact on inflows from upstream areas during the early season of South-West Monsoon. But rains in the mid-season filled the reservoirs to meet the people’s requirements throughout the year.

This time, there is a heavy shortage of water in Krishna basin which would have an adverse impact till the next season, he noted.

Storage at PAB Reservoir of Anantapur, the main drinking water source of Anantapur and Satya Sai districts, was confined to only 1.98 tmc-ft as against a gross storage capacity of 11.1 tmc-ft.

Farmers under the canals are fearful of massive harm to their agricultural fields due to lack of water for the crops. Farmers from Uravakonda, Guntakal and Tadipatri have been on protest, asking the irrigation department to save the crops. The adverse impact of monsoon will cause severe drinking water crisis even from Anantapur City and about 4 municipalities in Satyasai and Anantapur district including industrial area of Hindupur for drinking water if no additional quota released from Srisailam to Handri Neeva Sujala Sravanthi project.