KRMB allots 5.4 TMC to Telangana, 4.5 TMC to Andhra Pradesh

Since the availability of water in Nagarjuna Sagar was much less than the total requirement of 9.914 TMC to be met, the KRMB had decided to draw water from the Srisailam project to meet the indent.

Hyderabad: Responding to the fresh indents placed by Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to meet their emergency water needs till the end of August, the Krishna River Management Board has issued release orders allotting them 5.4 TMC and 4.5 TMC respectively.

Since the availability of water in Nagarjuna Sagar was much less than the total requirement of 9.914 TMC to be met, the KRMB had decided to draw water from the Srisailam project to meet the indent. The water available in the NSP, above the critical off take point of 500 feet (10 feet below the MDDL of 510 ft) was put at a mere 4.78 TMC.

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The Board decided to draw 5.705 TMC from the Srisailam project. This was the net availability above the critical offtake level of 800 ft (the MDDL 834 ft). Considering the 10 per cent evaporation loss, the net realisation of the water (released from Srisailam) at Nagarajuna Sagar dam will be 5.134 TMC, officials said. The water to be released from Srisailam would be on the condition that it would be routed through the power houses so as to derive power generation benefits also. Considering the acute shortage being faced in the basin, the water drawn should be utilised judiciously.

The Engineer-in-chief of Telangana placed the fresh indent to meet the demand under the Kalwakurthy Lift Irrigation scheme, for which the drawl should be made directly from Srisailam project, besides the drinking water needs under Palair and Udayasamudram reservoirs along with that of the needs of the HMWSSB. AP wanted the water to meet the drinking water needs in Guntur, Palnadu, Bapatla and Prakasam districts.