Poor inflows into Srisailam reservoir, a problem that has manifested after a decade, is causing water quality problem. Private fishermen complained of the death of fish in the reservoir near the dam site.
Fisheries officials attributed the death of fish to various factors such as depleting oxygen levels in the water and a steep variation in day and night temperatures. Water in the reservoir is stagnant for the first time and the government has also placed restrictions on its release. The reservoir could not be filled to even two-third of its capacity this season due to poor inflows.
As on Thursday, the level stood at 864.30 ft. after falling from 870 ft. The capacity was calculated at 164 tmcft (FRL 263 tmcft). The power houses used 24,187 cusecs for generation and Pothireddypadu regulator discharged 5,000 cusecs into the canal.
Deputy Director of Fisheries Sivasamrajyam told ‘The Hindu’ that the department officials were constantly watching the phenomenon. She said they had no evidence to substantiate the charge that the pollutants from Kurnool city and a few other industries were responsible for pollution of the Srisailam backwaters.
She argued that had the effluents been so bad, the death of fish could have been noticed in the immediate vicinity of Kurnool and Alampur.
Meanwhile, Anjaneyulu, Chief Water Analyst from Institute of Preventive Medicine (IPM) at Hyderabad, collected samples from the reservoir near the dam site on Thursday and said initial results indicated that the water was fit for consumption at Srisailam township. However, he noticed growth of phytoplankton, turbidity and slightly high level of chemical contents only later.
Meanwhile, the fisheries department is planning to release fish seedlings into the reservoir in October as part of a fish development programme.
