Heavy rains and floods across the State have not only caused extensive damage to standing crops, properties and human life but have also damaged 923 minor irrigation tanks. On the positive side, the rain have also helped 24,149 out of 43,412 tanks reach surplus level as they were discharging excess water as of October 21. Another 15,512 tanks have either reached surplus position already or getting there.
According to irrigation department officials, a total of 2,647 tanks have water in the range of 50% to 75% of their capacity, 862 tanks have water between 25% and 50% of their capacity and the remaining 602 tanks have water up to 25% of their capacity.
On the damages such as breaches, pipings and others caused by heavy rain, the officials stated 508 tanks have suffered damage in the Krishna basin having 23,301 tanks. Of them, excess water was flowing out of 15,589 tanks and another 5,013 tanks just below the surplus position. In the Godavari basin, 415 bore the brunt of heavy rain and suffered damage. Of the 20,111 tanks in the basin, 8,560 were discharging excess inflows as of Wednesday and another 10,139 were little below the surplus stage.
GHMC area
In the GHMC area, out of the total of 185 tanks, 56 have suffered damages but only three of them have suffered breaches as of October 21. Palle Cheruvu of Myladevarapally and Bandlaguda, Appa Cheruvu of Gaganpahad and Gurram Cheruvu of Balapur have suffered breaches but they were plugged on war footing.
Meanwhile, all major reservoirs both in the Krishna and Godavari basins continue to get heavy inflows. As of Wednesday evening, Jurala was getting a flood of nearly 3.5 lakh cusecs and the outflows to the river were over 3.75 lakh cusecs. Srisailam was getting over 4.18 lakh cusecs including over 50,000 cusecs supplementation from Tungabhadra and discharge of flood there was over 4.03 lakh cusecs.
