Anantapur: Despite the damage to the crest gate of the Tungabhadra Dam, which caused a loss of 50 TMC ft in the current irrigation year, the TB High-Level Main Canal (HLMC) received its full quota on a prorata basis. However, the 31.43 TMC ft quota is expected to be completed in five days, after the HLMC authorities have drawn 29.85 TMC ft, leaving approximately 1.5 TMC ft to be sourced from the TB Dam, including the KC Canal diversion.
The TB High-Level Main Canal quota for Andhra Pradesh is also expected to be completed soon, and the Dam authorities are likely to stop releasing water from the TB reservoir in the coming days.
Sources from the TB Dam stated that there will be an additional allocation of around half a TMC ft for HLMC, LLC, and other dependent canals, following inflows from upstream areas. The allocation will be based on the available water in the reservoir for the season.
It is worth noting that the TB Dam authorities initially allocated 26.36 TMC ft for HLMC based on an assessment of 172 TMC ft of water availability in the reservoir in June. However, following heavy floods, the TB board increased the allocation to 29.43 TMC ft, anticipating 192 TMC ft of water availability for the season.
When the crest gate was damaged, more than 50 TMC ft of water was released into the river, but the heavy floods helped the reservoir reach full storage within a month. HLMC Superintendent Engineer Rajasekhar told DC that currently, 1,800 cusecs are being drawn from the reservoir, and the quota will soon be exhausted.
The authorities prioritised water allocation for the first crop and focused on storage for drinking water supplies to Anantapur, Satya Sai districts, and parts of Kadapa. There will be no water available from the dam for the second crop, and farmers will need to rely solely on bore wells.
