The prospects of release of Krishna water to Chennai early this year brightened with the Somasila reservoir in SPSR Nellore district getting good inflows in the wake of the Srisailam reservoir filled to its full capacity.
“Water release to Chennai will be started from September 15 if the present inflow of 22,000 cusecs per day continues to Somasila during the next month also,” reservoir Superintending Engineer N. Krishna Rao told The Hindu. The reservoir is also getting good inflows from Kundu, a tributary of the Penna in Kurnool district.
“On an average two tmcft is being realised in the Somasila reservoir now which has has started receiving floods 15 days in advance this year, thanks to good rains in the catchment areas of Srisailam,” he explained.
The main Reservoirs in the district fed by the floods in Krishna — Somasila and Kandaleru — have a combined storage of 78 tmcft and a flood cushion of over 90 tmcft.
“The discharge to Kandalueru will be stepped as and when the inflows to the Somasila reservoir increase,” Mr Rao said.
At present, Kandaleru has an inflow of 634 cusecs. It had a storage of 20.55 tmcft. The discharge was maintained at 125 cusecs.
An obligation
Andhra Pradesh had an obligation to release 12 tmcft to Chennai in two spells. It would have no problem in meeting its commitment this year as more inflows could be expected during the late phase of the south west monsoon and also the north east monsoon, he explained.
Meanwhile, the floods have raised hopes among farmers in Nellore and Prakasam districts for a good crop for the second year in a row after successive years of drought.
