Srisailam project, Nagarjuna Sagar Dam hold just 150 TMC for Telangana, Andhra Pradesh for next 5 months

Water for the season needs to be judiciously utilised by both States from February to June 2025

Hyderabad: Despite a year marked by bountiful rainfall and substantial inflows, the Krishna Basin projects, particularly the Srisailam Project and the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam, are facing a rapid depletion of water levels. The Srisailam Project recorded a cumulative inflow of over 1,620 TMCs, while the Nagarjuna Sagar Project received over 1,200 TMCs of water so far this year.

The combined storage available to meet the drinking water and irrigation needs of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh now stands at approximately 150 TMC. The water availability is limited for the season and it must be judiciously utilised by both States over the next five months, from February to June 2025, in the hope that timely monsoons will replenish the depleted reservoirs.

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So far, Andhra Pradesh has drawn over 600 TMCs of water, while Telangana has managed to withdraw only 170 TMCs. As of today, the Srisailam Project has 92 TMCs as part of its present storage, and the Nagarjuna Sagar Dam holds 229 TMCs. Their net yield above the minimum drawdown levels—510 feet for Nagarjuna Sagar and 854 feet for Srisailam—is approximately 150 TMC.

The Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) was expected to delineate the water entitlements of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh for the available supply during the critical five-month period. Instead, the KRMB has appointed a three-member committee to address the issue. The pressing challenge is for both States to strategize their water usage to ensure that they can sustain their drinking water and irrigation needs until the next monsoon. The outcome of the committee’s findings will be crucial in determining the distribution of the scarce resources between the two States.