Telangana: Pranahita Powers Godavari Flood at Medigadda Barrage

Hyderabad: Medigadda has become the first of the three barrages of the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation scheme to experience a significant rise in the flow of the Godavari river water after the monsoon set in this year, with officials saying that on Friday that it had crossed the 3 lakh cusecs mark at the barrage.

By Sunday, the flows at the barrage are expected to more than triple to reach 14 lakh cusecs (cubic feet per second). “Most of the flow is from Pranahita River, Godavari’s tributary that joins the main river upstream of Medigadda. Godavari proper itself is not experiencing any significant flows as of now,” an official said.

The rate of water passing through Medigadda as on Friday, translated into 26 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) a day, enough to fill Hyderabad’s Himayatsagar eight times a day. The Hussainsagar can be filled 26 times a day. One tmc ft of water is believed to be enough to provide irrigation to around 10,000 acres of land a year on average.

However, water cannot be stored at the Medigadda barrage following last year’s near disaster where some piers on one of the barrage’s blocks developed cracks and sank following large leaks sprining from under the foundations.

Similar leaks – but of lesser magnitude — were also experienced at the upstream Annaram and Sundilla barrages. This resulted in a decision, based on expert opinion that no water can be stored at these barrages until final plans are drawn up, and implementd to protect the structures.

The situation at Medigadda barrage is stable and measurements of the flow, and other parameters of the stricken barrage are being taken twice a day, and there is no cause for worry, officials said. Even when the flows rise further, there should be no cause for concern, the officials added.

With respect to Sundilla and Annaram barrages, flows are nominal, it is learnt as the Godavari flows at these locations are low at present. Even if flows were to increase at these barrages, the Lower Manair Dam (LMD), Mid-Manair Dam (MMD), and Sripada Yellampalli reservoirs will first have to fill up after which water will get released downstream towards the barrages.

As on Friday, against the full storage capacity of 24.07 tmc ft, the LMD had just 0.31 tmc ft, while at MMD, Friday’s water stock stood at 0.24 tmc ft against its full capacity of 27.50 tmc ft. At Sripada Yellampalli reservoir, Friday’s storage stood at 2.78 tmc ft against its holding capacity of 20.18 tmc ft.