Water concerns linger in Telangana, Andhra Pradesh despite substantial inflows

The substantial cumulative inflows into reservoirs in the Krishna and Godavari basins reflect a positive water situation compared to the previous year

Hyderabad: As of Thursday, the major reservoirs in the Krishna and Godavari basins have recorded substantial cumulative inflows, reflecting a positive water situation compared to the previous year. However, the increasing dependence on hydroelectric generation raises concerns about prioritizing drinking water needs for both States in the coming months, according to data from the Central Water Commission (CWC) and other sources.

In the Krishna Basin, the Srisailam reservoir, one of the largest in the basin, has recorded an inflow of 1595.02 T.M.C and is currently holding 88.06 T.M.C. The Nagarjuna Sagar reservoir has seen an impressive inflow of 1183 T.M.C with a current capacity standing at 216 T.M.C. Despite these substantial inflows, the outflows at Srisailam stand at 15,135 cusecs, with close to half of this volume 7000 cusecs being utilized for hydropower generation.

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At the Nagarjuna Sagar project, hydropower generation is consuming 6896 cusecs against an overall average outflow of 33,824 cusecs, amounting to about three TMC a day. The project continues to receive an inflow of 15,712 cusecs from upstream sources, including the Srisailam project. Both states have been cautioned by the Krishna River Management Board against excessive drawls for hydropower generation. The project currently holds 216 TMC as part of its present storage, against a gross storage capacity of 312 TMC.

Godavari Basin

In the Godavari Basin, the Sri Ram Sagar reservoir has recorded a cumulative inflow of 282.83 TMC but is presently holding 49.75 TMC. The Mid Manair reservoir has an inflow of 69 TMC and a capacity of 23 TMC. The Lower Manair Dam has seen an inflow of 43.08 TMC with a current capacity of 16.26 TMC.

Overall, the total storage capacity of the reservoirs in Telangana and Andhra Pradesh stands at 769.31 TMC with a current capacity of 481.63 TMC. This marks a significant improvement from the previous year’s capacity of 322.53 TMC as of January 30, 2024.