Heavy rains: Irrigation projects receive heavy inflows in Telangana

Hyderabad: The incessant rains lashing the State for the last two days prompted irrigation department officials to be on high alert as several dams and other major water bodies in Godavari basin are receiving heavy inflows. With the inflows increasing significantly due to heavy rains, officials are constantly monitoring water levels at Sri Rama Sagar […]

Hyderabad: The incessant rains lashing the State for the last two days prompted irrigation department officials to be on high alert as several dams and other major water bodies in Godavari basin are receiving heavy inflows.

With the inflows increasing significantly due to heavy rains, officials are constantly monitoring water levels at Sri Rama Sagar Project (SRSP) in Nizamabad and a few other projects in erstwhile Adilabad as India Meteorological Department issued heavy rainfall warning to erstwhile Adilabad, Karimnagar and Nizamabad districts for the next three days.

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Officials also cautioned people not to venture near downstream irrigation projects. “We are constantly monitoring water levels in the projects that are receiving heavy inflows. The inflows might increase considerably in the next few days in view of the heavy rain forecast,” a senior official said.

At 5 pm, the SRSP received 3.20 lakh cusecs of inflows which might increase considerably in the next few days. Since the project was receiving more inflows from upstream areas, officials are discharging 10,100 cusecs of water downstream. As much as 3.49 lakh cusecs of water was released from Sripada Yellampalli Project in Peddapalli at 5 pm by opening 27 gates since it was receiving 2.72 lakh cusecs of inflows.

The irrigation projects in Adilabad are also getting heavy inflows from upstream areas in Maharashtra. The 13 gates of Kaddem and four gates of Swarna projects in Adilabad were also opened to release 1.15 lakh cusecs and 11,000 cusecs of water respectively.

The Kaddem and Swarna projects were receiving 1.18 lakh cusecs and 9,000 cusecs of inflows respectively.

On Sunday evening, the SRSP dam officials advised villagers not to visit the downstream areas as gates would be opened any time to release water because of heavy inflows into the project. Priyadarshini Jurala Project (PJP) dam in Mahabubnagar district was receiving 872 cusecs.

Water levels at Bhadrachalam

With torrential rains in upper catchment area and release of water from upstream projects, water level in river Godavari at Bhadrachalam in Kothagudem district has been rising steadily.

The Central Water Commission (CWC), lower Godavari division, has issued an advisory stating that water in the river might reach the first warning level of 43 feet on Sunday night due to release of water from Sripada Yellampalli Project and Laxmi barrage.