ANANTAPUR: For the first time in its history, the Peruru dam in Ramagiri mandal of Satya Sai district was overflowing on Friday following heavy floods in Pennar from upstream areas of Karnataka and Hindupur.
Officials said six crest gates were lifted to release 1,4000 cusecs into the river.
The decades-old Peruru reservoir on Pennar had no sources to fill the dam so far except from rainwater. The Karnataka government cooperated with the state in the diversion of Krishna water through Pennar river at Nadalamadaka in Pavagada taluk two years ago. Heavy rains upstream of Pennar at its originating point in Nandi Hills and in Hindupur area led to heavy inflow to the river during the early South West Monsoon season.
“Peruru dam was filled with full gross storage capacity and six gates were lifted to discharge water from the reservoir. The water level was maintained at 59ft with more than 1.60tmc-ft storage capacity.
The 75-year-old K Murthy of Ramagiri mandal said his life’s ambition was to see the Peruru Dam overflowing. He waited for four decades to see this.
Rapthadu MLA Prakash Reddy offered pooja at Peruru dam and hoped the dam could maintain maximum storage even during the summer by the pumping of Krishna water to it.
Another medium irrigation project, the BT in Gummagatta mandal, also received heavy inflow of floodwaters from Hagari river, from upstream Karnataka areas of Bellary district.
With constant inflows of more than 4,000 cusecs, the water storage level in the dam is being maintained at 2tmc-ft. Irrigation authorities sounded an alert to the people of the low-lying areas of Hagari river, with a warning that the gates will be lifted to discharge water downstream. Water was later released through the left and right bank canals of the project to fill the tanks.
Parigi, one of the biggest irrigation tanks in Rayalaseema, was overflowing due to heavy flow of rainwater from Jayamangali river. Road access between Hindupur and Madakasira was lost after water submerged the main road. Heavy rains continued in all parts of Anantapur, Kurnool and Sathya Sai districts.
Several irrigation tanks were full beyond capacity and fears of breaches persisted.
