Prospects of higher inflows into projects rise as monsoon gets active

Release to canals, lifts taken up under several projects

The prospects of major reservoirs in the Krishna and Godavari Basins in the State have improved with the south-west monsoon getting active over the catchment areas in the upper and middle basins of the two rivers in Karnataka and Maharashtra and lower basins in Telangana with the support of low pressure area and the associated cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal.

Inflows, which have been mostly moderate, into most of the reservoirs have been fluctuating during the six-week monsoon season so far. However, they are likely to be stabilised and improved over the coming weeks with the monsoon getting active and the catchment areas getting rains.

According to the Central Water Commission (CWC) officials, over 12.6 cm rain was recorded in Agumbe, the major catchment of Tungabhadra river, and over 6.5 cm in Krishna Agraharam in Jogulamba-Gadwal district during the 24-hour period till 8.30 a.m. on Sunday.

Similarly, in the Godavari Basin, Khanapur recorded 13 cm rain followed by 10 cm in Burgampadu, 9 cm each in Huzurabad and Aswapuram, 8 cm each in Thimmapur, Kondapak, Kaddam, Chigurumamidi and 7 cm each in Kothagudem, Dummugudem, Bayyaram and Tekulapalle in Telangana.

The engineers at Sriramsagar stated that Vishupuri project across Godavari in Nanded district (Maharashtra) was 97% full and a discharge of nearly 17,000 cusecs started on Sunday night with increasing level there and it was likely to start reaching SRSP from Monday evening. On Sunday evening, the inflows were around 4,200 cusecs.

Authorities of SRSP along with local elected representatives released water to the Laxmi Canal of Sriramsagar Project (SRSP) for the kharif season on Sunday morning by operating the shutters of the regulator after performing ‘pooja’. The water release began with 300 cusecs in the morning but was reduced to 250 cusecs in the evening.

Water release to A.R. Gutpa lift and Kakatiya Main Canal from SRSP has already commenced earlier this month. Release of water to the ayacut has also been started under Nizamsagar last week. Sriramsagar has received about 18.5 tmc ft water so far this season with the storage reaching 34.4 tmc ft against capacity of 90.31 tmc ft on Sunday evening.

Water release to canal and lift systems based on Jurala has been going on for the last four weeks as the project has received over 31.7 tmc ft water so far this season.

Heavy discharge

Meanwhile, the authorities of Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project have started discharging heavy flood of 1.02 lakh cusecs at Medigadda (Laxmi) barrage by lifting 24 gates as the inflows were nearly 81,400 cusecs with a rising trend.