The water level in all reservoirs in Andhra Pradesh has gone up considerably, with the total storage standing at 253.591 tmcft at present, when compared to 235.983 tmcft recorded on June 13 last year. The total capacity at the full reservoir level (FRL) of all the reservoirs including the major and medium water bodies in the State is 441.2754 tmcft.
In addition, 218.860 tmcft of water is available in Nagarjunasagar and Srisailam reservoir, both major sources of water for Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, when compared to 209.950 tmcft recorded on June 13 last year.
There are more than 85 major, medium and minor reservoirs in the State. Prakasam Barrage, Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage, Thotapalli Regulator, Gundlakamma reservoir, Somasila, Kandaleru, Gandikota, Sunkesula Barrage and etc are among the major sources of water.
Even as the total storage is high when compared to that of last year, the situation is different at many places. In some districts, the storage is less when compared to that in previous year. In undivided Prakasam district, the water storage figure is put at 96.759 tmcft at present when compared to 92.368 tmcft last year.
Around 712 tmcft water is available at Brahmamsagar Reservoir, a medium water body, in Kadapa when compared to 9.96 tmcft last year. The Penna Ahobilam Balancing Reservoir in Anantapur district has 3.266 tmcft water now, when compared to 3.42 tmcft last year, sources say.
The officials attribute the rise in the water level at reservoir to heavy rains during the monsoon last year, besides copious inflows in the upstream areas.
With sufficient water in the reservoirs, the State government has planned early release of water to the ayacuts for kharif season. Accordingly, water has been released from the Godavari and Krishna rivers.
The government has released the Godavari water to the eastern, central and western deltas from the Sir Arthur Cotton Barrage on June 1, while it was slated for June 15.
The water available in the Dowleswaram Barrage is enough to meet the irrigation needs of East Godavari, Kakinada, West Godavari, Konaseema and Eluru districts during the kharif season. Likewise, the water was released into the Krishna western and eastern canals on June 10.
