VIJAYAWADA: For the third time in the current water year, gates of the Srisailam project were lifted on Friday to let out surplus water through the spillway, following heavy inflows from upper catchment regions of Krishna and Tungabhadra rivers. Last year, the gates were lifted four times.
Officials of the irrigation department are expecting more amount of inflows by October-end than in the corresponding period of last year. As of Friday 2 pm, seven gates of the project were lifted to a height of 10 feet to let out 1.95 lakh cusecs with total outflow being 2.64 lakh cusecs.
However, by 6 p.m. three gates were closed and only four gates were remained opened to release water at a discharge rate of 1.11 cusecs with total outflow discharge rate being 1.72 lakh cusecs. According to sources, when the gates were lifted in July, a total amount of 113.17 TMC was let out.
Again the gates were lifted in the month of August and a total of 107.01 TMC of water was let out through the spillway. Till September 17, a total of 11.95 TMC of water was let out through the spillway.