The Government of Telangana on Saturday constituted an experts committee to study the feasibility of increasing the spillway capacity of the Neelam Sanjeeva Reddy Sagar (Srisailam dam) and flood management there.
The committee consists of nine members, with Engineer-in-Chief of irrigation as chairman. Other members are Chief Engineer of the Central Designs Organisation, Director (Hydrology-S) of Central Water Commission, Director (Concrete Masonry & Dam Design – NW&S) of the CWC, Director (Foundation Engineering & Special Analysis) of the CWC, retired Chief Engineer K.V. Subba Rao (technical expert), Superintending Engineer of Hydrology Circle, Superintending Engineer (Dam Safety) of CDO and Chief Engineer of the Srisailam dam. Though the proposal for increasing the capacity of Srisailam reservoir’s spillway was mooted way back in 2003 when the right bank power house was flooded, it had failed to make headway. The protection wall of the power house was breached when the flood discharge from the reservoir crossed 20 lakh cusecs that year against the designed discharge capacity of 13.55 lakh cusecs. The right bank power house was submerged in the flood waters again in 2009 when the spillway discharge recorded an unprecedented 26 lakh cusecs on October 3. The proposal to increase the spillway capacity regained support after the historic flood that caused a large-scale devastation even in the upstream of the reservoir by inundating Kurnool city.
However, official sources said any decision on increasing the discharge capacity could be taken only with the acceptance of the A.P. Government as the Srisailam dam had become an inter-state project following bifurcation. Further, the AP Reorganisation Act has stipulated that administration, regulation, maintenance and operation of the reservoir would be the responsibility of the Krishna River Management Board.
