The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Poor inflows into rivers cause concern

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Thursday, Jul 02, 2009
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Poor inflows into rivers cause concern

Special Correspondent

HYDERABAD: Dams and reservoirs in the State based on major rivers like Krishna, Godavari, Pennar and Vamsadhara are not likely to see any improvement in their storages at least for one to two weeks more. Storages in A forecast made by the Central Water Commission and the State Flood Control station based on the India Meteorological Department and allied agencies says that the catchment areas of these rivers will not get even moderate rain, let alone heavy falls, in the next few days which may not ensure sufficient inflows to these dams and reservoirs.The monsoon situation, at present, is such that there are no signs available either in the Arabian Sea or the Bay of Bengal, indicating any likely formation of a system such as low pressure area or trough.

A weather system in the Arabian Sea will ensure rain in the Maharashtra and Kartnataka catchment areas of the Krishna and the Godavari, helping the projects of Srisailam, Nagarjunasagar, Jurala, Sriramsagar and Dowleswaram anicut. Now, the water levels in projects lying in the Godavari basin sank to dead storage marks while the availability is meagre in the Krishna-based projects like Srisailam and Nagarjunasagar. The fate of the projects in the Pennar basin like Somasila and Kandaleru too is similar. That of Vamsadhara is no exception. As a cumulative effect, the schedule of water release from canals for khariff season in various districts is likely to be postponed indefinitely. The worst affected ayacut will be the existing 7 lakh acres under Sriramsagar in which the storage went down far below the minimum draw-down level. It has only 4 tmc ft of water against its full capacity of 91 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet). Only a quantity of 273 tmc ft is available in the Krishna-based projects as compared to their full combined capacity of 788 tmc ft. Those in the Godavari basin have merely 16 tmc ft (138 tmcft) and that of Pennar 45 tmc ft (141 tmc ft).

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Andhra Pradesh