12 gates of Jurala Project opened to release 86,679 cusecs downstream
Hyderabad: Twelve gates of Priyadarshini Jurala Project (PJP) in erstwhile Mahbubnagar district were opened on Saturday to release flood water downstream to reach Srisailam dam.
The officials of Irrigation department are releasing as many as 86,679 cusecs of water from the project and it water release might further increase by Sunday as the gates of Narayanpur reservoir in the upstream areas in Karnataka were already opened.
The PJP is receiving over 65,000 cusecs of inflows from Narayanpur reservoir as on Saturday evening. As the gates of Narayanpur were opened, the PJP will get close to one lakh cusecs of water from Sunday afternoon onwards, Irrigation Department Gadwal Division-II Executive Engineer Khaja Zubair Ahmed told Deccan Chronicle.
He said the PJP was receiving a majority of inflows from Narayanpur reservoir while less inflows from the catchment areas abutting the project and stated they were constantly maintaining a vigil on the inflows to the project.
Officials also issued an alert to the people residing near the PJP and the downstream areas asking them to be careful and shift to a safe place in wake of releasing water from the project. They issued the alert on Friday night considering upper catchment areas and discharge rainfall.
At 6 pm on Saturday, the PJP was receiving 83,000 inflows from Narayanpur, officials said.
Medigadda receiving 3,73,500 cusecs inflows
Meanwhile, the water levels in Medigadda Lakshmi barrage of the Kaleshwaram project are increasing rapidly due to heavy rains in the upstream areas, according to officials.
The inflows and outflows into the rivers are 3,73,500 cusecs, respectively at 6 pm on Saturday. The officials of Irrigation department are releasing water downstream from the barrage by opening 85 gates.
In a bulletin released on Saturday evening, the officials said the Godavari River was in free flow condition at the barrage. They further stated the inflows into the barrage were expected to increase significantly because of incessant rains lashing the State for the last few days in the upstream and abutting catchment areas.