The Srisailam Reservoir is almost full enabling the Irrigation authorities to release water downstream to the Nagarjuna Sagar which is till half empty.
The level of water in the Srisailam reservoir reached 882.8 ft against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 885 ft. The reservoir is holding 203.89 tmcft and has a flood cushion of nearly a little less than 12 tmcft.
The reservoir has been receiving water from the upstream reservoir of Jurala from the beginning of September. Both Andhra Pradesh and Telangana have been drawing water from the reservoir for power generation since the level in the dam crossed the 872-foot mark . The inflows stopped for a week (September 9 to 15) and then started again with heavy rains in the catchment of the Bheema Tributary and also in the catchment of Krishna below the Narayanapur dam. The Andhra Pradesh Government has been trying to release the maximum amount of water to Rayalaseema through the Pothireddypadu Regulator and Handri-Neeva Srujala Sravanthi (HNSS). Starting with 3,500 cusecs in the beginning of September, the amount of water released through Pothyreddipadu was increased to 4,500 tmcft. The release to Pothyreddipadu was reduced slightly on September 14 to 3,000 cusecs and even further down to 500 tmcft on September 26 then increased again to 3,600 cusecs on Friday. The HNSS has been drawing an uniform 2,025 cusecs from Srisailam on most days.
The inflow to Srisailam was more than the outflow throughout the month with the authorities trying to fill the dam to capacity leaving a small gap flood cushion. The trend however was reversed on Saturday with the outflow being more than the inflow on Friday. The Srisailam Dam that received an average inflow of 24,798 cusecs on Friday discharged 30,148 cusecs to Nagarjuna Sagar downstream.
Telangana drew more water from the reservoir for power generation during the month.
State continues to draw water for Rayalaseema
