HYDERABAD: There will be no threat either for Srisailam or Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs even if the discharge of flood is over 25 lakh cusecs. "Dams will not be washed away,” dam safety panel former chairman MS Reddy told Express allaying fears over safety of the dams.
It all started after ‘water man of India’ Rajendra Singh said on Wednesday that there is no safety to Srisailam dam. "Rajendra Singh is involved in watershed management and not an expert on dams. There will be no threat to Srisailam dam," Reddy, also former chairman of CWC, reiterated.
Speaking to Express on Thursday, Reddy, however, suggested to construct spillways at NSP and Srisailam to effectively tackle huge floods in future. The NSP has been designed to take 13 lakh cusecs of flood water and Srisailam for 18 lakh cusecs of flood water.
‘Srisailam should get new tunnel spillway’
It was estimated that in 2009, 25 lakh cusecs of flood water was recorded at Srisailam and NSP. No threat to Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs in Telangana, says an expert. Even if 25 lakh cusecs of flood is received at Srisailam, there will be no danger to the dam. The water will overtop the dam. This may cause damage to Srisailam gates but there is no question of Srisailam dam being washed away,’’ Reddy explained. He recalled that in 2009, the flood impact was heavy, as two gates of Srisailam did not function.
No threat to Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs in Telangana, says expertWhen floods starts at Almatti, officials should assess and plan to deplete the water from Srisailam and NSP,No threat to Srisailam, Nagarjuna Sagar reservoirs in Telangana, says expert Reddy said stating that another tunnel spillway should be built at Srisailam. Reddy, as safety panel head, inspected NSP and submitted a report in 2016 on the safety measures.
The panel suggested to construct a spillway near the earthen dam on the left side of NSP. The excess water received by the spillway could be released to tiger valley, he said. The report was also submitted to the World Bank. However, the State government did not show much interest to construct the spillway, he said.
"We should always think that the future flood would be more than the previous years' maximum flood," Reddy said. "We have to think that more than 25 lakh cusecs of flood may be witnessed in future," he said suggesting to construct the spillways. "If the flood discharge at NSP is more than 25 lakh cusecs, the power houses may be damaged, but there will be no threat to NSP," Reddy said.