The authorities of Srisailam project, a common reservoir for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana and a source for several irrigation and drinking water systems in the two States, lifted the spillway gates of the dam on Wednesday evening to commence discharge of flood.
Three gates of the spillway were lifted for 10-foot height each to discharge a flood of over 79,100 cusecs after Nandyal MP P. Brahmananda Reddy and Srisailam MLA S. Chakrapani Reddy, along with the engineers of the dam performed pooja and offered prayers before switching on the motors to operate the radial crest gates. A scenic view was unveiled as the water slipped off the tall spillway and touched the bucket below to rebound into the air before falling into the river course.
The decision to commence the spillway discharge was taken as the water level in the reservoir crossed 881 feet against its full reservoir level of 885 feet. At 7 p.m., water storage in the Srisailam dam was 195.21 tmcft against its capacity of 215.81 tmcft.
Last year, the spillway gates were lifted on August 9 itself as the project received surplus water in a matter of 10 days since the commencement of flood to the reservoir began only on August 1 late night. This year, flood water from the reservoir is already being let into the river course with power generation in the Left Bank power house by Telangana Genco since July 20 and AP commenced power generation in its Right Bank power house from August 18. Another 72,000 cusecs water was also being let into river with power generation by Telangana and AP.
According to the Central Water Commission (CWC) forecast, Srisailam reservoir is expected to get a flood of nearly 16 tmcft in the 12-hour period up to 6 a.m. on Thursday with average inflows of about 3.64 lakh cusecs both from Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. At 7 p.m. on Wednesday, the discharge of flood from Tungabhadra at Sunkesula Barrage was nearly 55,400 cusecs and that from Krishna at Jurala was over 3.14 lakh cusecs including 2.98 lakh cusecs from 39 spillway gates and another 21,000 cusecs with power generation.
An advisory issued by the CWC stated that outflow from Tungabhadra dam would go up to 88,000 cusecs and the water level in the river at Ollenur in the downstream was rising rapidly. Subsequently, water level in the river at Mantralayam may cross the warning level of 310 metres by Thursday morning. It crossed 309 metres on Wednesday evening. It has also put the authorities of Kurnool on alert and advised them not to allow any activity in and near the river banks of Tungabhadra that flows abutting the city.
