Andhra Pradesh has been a beneficiary of nature’s bounty this season as the two major reservoirs on the Krishna river, Srisailam and Nagarjuna Sagar, are almost filled to capacity. Due to heavy rains that are still continuing in the upper riparian States, bountiful water is flowing into the Krishna and the Godavari.
With the release of water from the Almatti dam and the unabated heavy rains in the catchment area upstream of the Krishna, reservoirs in the State have been receiving huge inflows for the past few days. The water level in the Srisailam reservoir reached 884.25 feet as against the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) of 885 feet. As against the gross capacity at the full reservoir level of 982.35 tmcft (of all major, medium and other reservoirs), the current storage is 711.73 tmcft. In comparison, it was 667.09 tmcft as on August 21 last year.
The nearly brimming reservoirs bring cheer to the government and people alike but an overview of the "water management paints a bleak picture". The State is unable to make the best use of the floodwater it is receiving. Neither are the assured waters utilised optimally nor maintenance of dams and reservoirs is taken up seriously.
Neglected projects
Lakhs of cusecs of water is being let out into the sea from the Godavari. To some extent, the floodwaters are being diverted to the Krishna from the Godavari at Pavitra Sangamam near Vijayawada. Also, the successive governments "have not been focussing on the assured waters" in the Krishna. The governments have been chalking out "grandiose plans" such as constructing lift irrigation (LI) schemes rather than taking up the Gundrevula project on the Tungabhadra, which is considered a possible game-changer for the drought-hit Rayalaseema region. The proposals remained a non-starter for many years, sources say.
The State government is silent on the much-hyped inter-linking of the Godavari and the Krishna to benefit drought-prone areas in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh. The plans apparently fell apart following the State government’s reluctance to take up the project owing to huge costs involved. The State government’s focus shifted to linking of Godavari and Penna rivers.
Telangana has been opposing the Rayalaseema Lift Irrigation Scheme (RLIS) claiming that inter-basin (Krishna to Pennar) linking was illegal.
According to information, 31.90 tmcft is the assured water to the Kurnool Cuddappah Canal, popularly known as K.C. Canal. Andhra Pradesh will be able to utilise the assured waters if the Gundrevula project becomes a reality. It is estimated to cost ₹4,300 crore, inclusing 30% share of Telangana. As it is a gravity-based project, compared to LIs the government will not incur a recurring expenditure of ₹649 crore to lift 3 tmcft of water daily for 180 days. Also, the government need not depend on floodwaters, says a senior official, who did not want to be quoted.
Lapses in maintenance
Likewise, the governments have not been focussing on the operation and maintenance (O&M) and repairs of the existing projects which may pose a serious danger to the major dams. While other projects have staff but no O&M funds, the Srisailam project has neither requisite staff nor O&M funds.
The then government of combined Andhra Pradesh planned to construct a flood wall to prevent inundation of Kurnool soon after the 2009 floods. Then it was estimated to cost ₹244 crore and later revised to ₹846 crore. The proposal remains on paper even as danger lurks, sources say.
The Srisailam project Superintending Engineer (SE) post has been lying vacant and the Telugu Ganga Project SE has been given the additional charge. The two Executive Engineers (EEs) who are supposed to work at the dam site have been posted at Kurnool and Nandyal, for other projects. More than 200 field staff such as gangmen have retired in the recent past with no replacements.
The safety and structural stability of the Srisailam dam, which withstood two severe floods in 1999 and 2009, is a big question.
Water discharged from the dam crest gates jumps into the bucket area, rises to a height of 200 ft and lands at a distance of 300 metres. Under the pressure from the water, a big ditch has formed. No efforts have been made to address the issue even though the officials have been saying it poses no danger.
