Telangana requests Karnataka for 5 tmc water from Almatti dam as emergency release

Both Almatti and Narayanpur projects have 31 tmc and 21 tmc of water as part as their present storage.

Hyderabad: Telangana has requested the Karnataka government to release five tmc of water from the Almatti dam. This request was made at the government level in anticipation of a severe water crisis once the water levels in the Nagarjuna Sagar project fell below 500 feet. The official of the Krishna Bhagya Jala Nigam Limited (KBJNL) of the Karnataka government, which has been managing the operation of irrigation projects in Upper Krishna, is exploring the scope for emergency releases to bail out Telangana from its water woes. It is expected to respond after the parliamentary polls. Karnataka cities, including Benguluru in the Cauvery basin have been facing acute scarcity conditions.

But so far as the Krishna basin is concerned, Karnataka projects are better placed. Both Almatti and Narayanpur projects have 31 tmc and 21 tmc of water as part as their present storage. The Irrigation Secretary of Telangana government had already made a formal request to his Karnataka counterpart last month in view of its dipping reservoir level. The Karnataka government had reportedly assured the state of necessary releases in the event of an acute crisis.

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