Anantapur: Surplus water storage in major and minor irrigation projects and in minor irrigation tanks is improving groundwater table across the state. As against a gross capacity of 982.35tmc-ft, water storage is of 796.64tmc-ft and tanks are filled by more than 81 per cent during the present rainy season.
In addition, interstate projects like Tungabhadra have full storage for the past two months.
Heavy rains in Krishna basin and parts of Pennar basin increased the water levels of major irrigation projects in the past two years, more than the previous rainy seasons. Last year, the storage was 781.61 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) at all major and medium irrigation projects and tanks in the state.
The major irrigation projects witnessed surplus water levels for the past three months and they continued to have adequate storage during the present season with 726.53 tmc ft of water as against a gross storage capacity of 865.64 tmc ft with 83.93 per cent capacity.
Major irrigation projects yielded surplus water following continuous heavy rains in Krishna basin including the upstream parts of Almatti and Tungabhadra reservoirs in Karnataka.
The gross capacity is of 601 tmc ft in Krishna basin, which had 528 tmc ft of storage in the first week of September. Similarly, Pennar Basin had seen more than 25 per cent yield than the last year, with 203.20 tmc ft, with 77.68 per cent storage for the reservoirs.
The Srisailam reservoir was receiving constant inflows from upstream areas with 1.64 lakh cusecs on Tuesday and the reservoir has 168.63tmc-ft as against a total capacity of 215.81tmc-ft.
Nagarjunasagar also reported 98.02 per cent water storage and 312.05 tmc ft is available in the reservoir.
Groundwater table has improved in most districts as water is available at 8.23 metres on average as against the 11.29 metres depth in August 2020.
“Tungabhadra dam is constantly maintaining 100.86 tmc ft as against its 100.96 tmc ft capacity with inflows of 11,609 cusecs and outflows of 10,688 cusecs”, TB board secretary Nagamohan told DC.
Official sources said projects in Krishna basin have 516.32 tmc ft storage as against their full storage capacity of 601 tmc ft the present season. However, only 297.98 tmc ft of water was present during last year.
The Pennar basin has surplus water at 181.86 tmc ft while a storage of 70 tmc ft was recorded last year.
Anantapur collector Nagalakshmi Selvarajan informed Jal Shakti Union Minister Gajendrasingh Shekavat over a video conference on Jalashaksti Abhiyan programme on Tuesday that the ground water table has improved in Anantapur district in these two years. Water level is at 12.2metres now while against a depth of 19.5meters during 2019.
