24 gates of SRSP lifted

Heavy inflows from neighbouring Maharashtra into projects on the Godavari in north Telangana prompted the Irrigation Department to open 24 of the 42 gates at the Sriram Sagar Project (SRSP) and three out of six gates at the Koulasnala Project on Tuesday.

If the same situation continues for the next few days in the wake of heavy rain forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), officials are considering opening more gates of the two projects.

“We are maintaining the Full Reservoir Level (FRL) at the SRSP. But as a precautionary measure, we have opened 24 gates because of heavy inflows,” Jagtial Chief Engineer (Irrigation) K Sudhakar Reddy told. The water released would reach the Yellampalli project.

Since the SRSP was receiving inflows of 80,000 cusecs from Maharashtra and adjoining catchment areas, officials are releasing



one lakh cusecs of water downstream, he said.

Kamareddy Chief Engineer (Irrigation) T Srinivas said the Koulasnala project was receiving inflows from Maharashtra, and the water released from the project would reach Manjeera. He said the Nizamsagar project received 10,000 cusecs of inflows in the morning but came down to 3,000 cusecs by evening.

With the district receiving bountiful rains this monsoon, 1,200 tanks, lakes and check-dams were filled to the brim out of 2,176 water bodies in the district while the remaining were filled above 75 per cent.

Meanwhile, the situation at the Medigadda barrage was normal and water was being released through 44 gates, with inflows at 2,500 cusecs. The water levels are constantly being maintained and monitored to facilitate the pumping of water, officials said.