ANANTAPUR: A deficit in rainfall even during the peak rainy season of the Dasara festival had an adverse impact on agriculture and drinking water sources across the state.
The abnormal rise in temperatures continued in many parts of AP, resembling a hot summer even during the normal season with cold climatic conditions. Despite the predictions of rain on Garudotsham in Tirumala, there were no showers a week ago during the holy brahmotsavalu of Lord Venkateswara Swamy.
“There has been a sentiment that showers would occur at least on the Garudotsavam day and also heavy rains during the rest of the period. But, climatic conditions have been entirely different ever since the South West Monsoon failed at its initial stage. This badly affected the inflows to the Krishna basin from the Western Ghats, as also to the TB dam, the Almatti dam towards the Srisailam reservoir in the Nandyal district, which are the main source of irrigation and drinking water for the Rayalaseema region and Telangana state.
The Meteorological department said temperatures were at 38 degrees in many parts of the state.
Already, the reservoirs of Tungabhadra, an interstate project of Karnataka and AP and a part of Telangana, had a deficit of water in its sources for three months. The TB board was unable to lift all its crest gates for the celebration of Independence Day.
The dam authorities have announced the stoppage of inflows from the dam in the November first week. Leaders from the tail-end parts of Tadipathri and also dependent areas like Hindupur, Madakasira, and Rayadurg were demanding the release of additional quota to meet the region’s drinking water needs.
Former MP, JC Diwakar Reddy, observed that the government should intervene and release water to meet the needs of the tail-end areas. PABR has only 2.24 tmc-ft of water as against 11tmc-ft, including distribution, to connect the drinking water projects of Anantapur city, the Sri Rami Reddy Water project of Madakasira and Hindupur areas.
The Srisailam dam was still without inflows into the dam and the water level was at 31 percent level with 68.4 tmc-ft and a gross capacity of 215.81 frl on Tuesday. The outflows were being released with 4823 cusecs from the reservoir.
Scientists say the impact of the failure of the South West Monsoon and of lack of rains during the rainy season on the temperatures in the region was heavy, and standing crops have been withering at several stages.
