Krishna Basin irrigation projects in Telugu States may be hit hard by rainfall deficit

Back in August 2022, irrigation authorities had been mulling elevating the spillway gates of the Nagarjuna Sagar dam owing to a heavy floodwater discharge on the Srisailam dam upstream of the Krishna river. File photograph used for representational functions.
| Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

Crops in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stand to be hit hard, notably underneath the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, resulting from rainfall deficit in the higher catchment areas of the Krishna Basin in Maharashtra and Karnataka.

According to irrigation authorities, it’s the first time since 2018 that the Srisailam reservoir has not acquired a surplus even in the third week of August. The Srisailam reservoir dietary supplements water to the Nagarjuna Sagar, downstream projects, and numerous elevate irrigation/canal techniques in the Telugu-speaking States.

Also read | Low water levels in major reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh paint grim picture

The ayacut (land underneath cultivation or irrigation) has been receiving water provide from some irrigation techniques based mostly in the backwaters of Srisailam and Jurala. Telangana has been drawing water from the Kalwakurthy elevate and Andhra Pradesh from the Pothireddypadu head regulator, Kurnool-Cuddappah Canal, and the Handri-Neeva techniques.

The two States have additionally been producing energy intermittently at Srisailam since July 31 and August 7, respectively, letting water into the Nagarjuna Sagar. As on the morning of August 20, the 2 frequent reservoirs have a flood cushion of almost 272 TMCft, a surplus.

At 7 p.m. on Sunday, Srisailam had solely 103.89/215.81 TMCft. of water and in the downstream, Nagarjuna Sagar had 150.9/312.5 TMCft. storage — the 2 reservoirs have much less water than half of their capability. The Nagarjunsagar serves an ayacut of over 22.12 lakh acres in the 2 States, together with 6.41 lakh acres in Telangana. Water can be drawn from the Nagarjuna Sagar for the Alimineti Madhava Reddy Project, which has an ayacut of three lakh acres.

The Bhima, Nettempadu and Koilsagar lifts in Telangana draw water from the Jurala Project, whereas the Handri-Neeva, the Srisailam Right Bank Canal, the Telugu Ganga, the KC Canal and different lifts/canal system in Andhra Pradesh draw water from the Srisailam reservoir. According to irrigation authorities, the ayacut in Telangana had suffered a delay in the water provide in 2017, when the Srisailam reservoir reached its full stage solely in the second week of October..

The Tungabhadra undertaking positioned upstream of Srisailam in Karnataka has a flood cushion of 21 TMCft. and the Pulichintala Project the downstream of the Nagarjuna Sagar wanted about 20 TMCft. to achieve full capability as on August 20. On the opposite hand, all projects in the Godavari Basin in Telangana, besides Singur which nonetheless has flood cushion of two.four TMCft., had acquired surplus ranges in July.

Volume of water acquired by main projects in the Krishna Basin, as on August 20, 2023

Surplus water launched into the ocean in 2022 was 3,902.69 TMCft. (Godavari) and 276.95 TMCft. (Krishna) in 2022. This 12 months, as on August 20, it’s only 1,477.24 TMCft. and 53.18 TMCft., respectively.