VIJAYAWADA: With water level in Srisailam Reservoir reaching 882.8 feet as against the full reservoir level (FRL) of 885 feet and with inflows continuing to the project, Engineer-in-Chief (ENC) of irrigation C Narayana Reddy has written to the Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) to take an “early and wise” decision and permit AP to use water for hydel power generation. On Tuesday, the water resources department requested the AP Power Generation Corporation (APGENCO) to use water with immediate effect “in anticipation of further instructions” from the board.
“...In anticipation of further instructions in this regard, the authorities of APGENCO are requested to use water for power generation with immediate effect, which otherwise may go waste into the sea,” the ENC wrote to the KRMB member secretary and informed that Srisailam may be surplus in storage soon as over one lakh cusecs of inflows continued to reach the project.As of 7 pm Tuesday, the project was receiving 1.05 lakh cusecs of inflows and its outflow stood at 59,000 cusecs. Out of its FRL storage capacity of 215.81 TMC, the reservoir has over 203 TMC.
On Monday, the ENC shot off a letter to the KRMB member secretary seeking permission to utilise water as the project was reaching its FRL. “It is pertinent to mention here that all the reservoirs on Krishna river starting with Almatti, Narayanapur and Jurala, and Tungabhadra Dam on Tungabhadra River, are full and surplussing flood waters resulting in more than one lakh cusecs of inflows to Srisailam Reservoir and further the same situation may continue for 3 to 4 days to come. It is requested to allow the use of water for power generation through right bank powerhouse by APGENCO, otherwise the precious water, which can be used for power generation in the national interest, will go waste over the spillway gates for nobody’s benefit,” Narayana Reddy explained.
It may be recalled that AP government has complained on multiple occasions against Telangana authorities for going ahead with hydel power generation on the left bank sans requisite clearance from the KRMB. Despite directions from the board and Union Ministry of Jal Shakti (MoJS) to stop usage of water for power generation, the neighbouring state authorities continued power generation. AP, on the other hand, has been seeking permission from the board whenever surplus water is available in the reservoir.
Srisailam project
1.05 lakh cusecs: inflows
59,000 cusecs: Outflows
885 feet: FRL
882.8 feet: Water level
Storage capacity:215.81 TMC
Water in dam: 203 TMC
(As of 7 pm Tuesday)